Xi calls for upholding of ethnic unity

President Xi Jinping has urged residents in the Xizang autonomous region to continue upholding ethnic solidarity and creating a happier and better life.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in a reply letter to residents of Kala, a village in Nyingchi township in Xizang that he visited in July 2021.

"Learning that the village has undergone new changes in recent years and villagers' incomes have increased, I feel happy for you," Xi wrote in the letter.

He also voiced his hope that the villagers will, under the guidance of the Party's policies to develop border areas and improve people's lives, do an even better job in protecting the natural beauty of the plateau region, developing the village's tourist brand, and contributing to building a prosperous and stable border area.

In recent years, Kala village, which is known for its peach blossoms, has made new achievements in developing rural tourism, strengthening the collective economy and promoting ethnic solidarity.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Xizang autonomous region. Recently, residents of Kala village wrote to Xi, reporting to him the development and changes taking place in the village and expressing their determination to follow the Party and create a better life.

While speaking of the reason for writing the letter, Nyima Dorje, deputy head of the village, recalled Xi's visit to the village on July 21, 2021, when Xi talked to the villagers and learned about their life.

"The general secretary and the CPC Central Committee have given special care to and shown deep love for Xizang. As the immediate beneficiaries, residents of Kala village feel immensely grateful," he said.

"As we celebrate the 60th anniversary of the establishment of the Xizang autonomous region, the villagers wanted to express our infinite gratitude to General Secretary Xi and the CPC Central Committee through the letter," he added.

During Xi's visit to Xizang in 2021, the president called for local efforts to strengthen the development of border areas, emphasized the four major issues of "stability, development, ecology and border-area consolidation", and called for new achievements in protecting the fragile ecosystem of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and advancing its sustainable development.

He said that Xizang's high-quality development in all sectors should serve ethnic unity and progress, and should help improve people's livelihoods and build consensus among people of all ethnic groups.

Xi's visit inspired many villagers and encouraged them to work harder for a better life and a brighter future.

Li Yuling, governor of Nyingchi township, has witnessed the dramatic changes that have taken place in the village. He said that acting on Xi's instructions, the village has vigorously developed the "peach blossom economy", with some villagers engaging in the catering industry while others opening homestays to develop rural tourism.

The collective income of the village from 2021 to the present has exceeded 7 million yuan ($976,000), with per capita disposable income surpassing 40,000 yuan, Li said. "Several families have moved into new houses and acquired new cars, and 10 more children have left the mountains to receive higher education in places like Beijing, Chengdu and Jiangsu," he added.

Dawa Gyaltsan, who is from Kala village, clearly remembers the day when Xi visited his home. "It's one of the most unforgettable moments in my life," he said. "He came to sit with us and asked about the health of my parents and the education and dreams of my two children."

The villager said that over the past years, the "peach blossom economy" has made his fellow villagers' wallets much fuller, and their lives are improving day by day.

"The roads in our village have become wider, the scenery is more beautiful, and our incomes have been increasing year by year," he said. "My daughter is currently in her second year at a high school, and my son is in his first year at a sports school. They are striving to become a doctor and an athlete, respectively."

The changes in Kala village are a microcosm of the development of the whole of Xizang. Over the past six decades, Xizang has seen dramatic changes in social and economic development, thanks to the consistent support provided by the central government as well as the assistance from the rest of the country through funding, industries and talent.

Between 2012 and 2024, per capita disposable income for urban residents in Xizang tripled, reaching nearly 31,400 yuan, while that for rural residents nearly quadrupled to 21,500 yuan, Xinhua News Agency reported. Notably, in 2019, Xizang bade farewell to the extreme poverty that had plagued the region for thousands of years.

Given that education is a fundamental right accessible to all, the completion rate of nine-year compulsory education in the region exceeds 97 percent, according to local authorities. Higher education institutions cultivate doctors, engineers, teachers and other talent who are instrumental in the region's development.

Meanwhile, Xizang is witnessing unprecedented heritage protection. The traditional culture is not only well preserved, but also thriving through the efforts of local people and the vigorous support of State-funded programs.