China’s ominous development projects along Indian borders

Zhang Yijiong in Tibet

Here is my article published in NitiCentral. It is titled China’s ominous development projects along Indian borders.


Very few in India are bothered by what is happening on the other side of the great Himalayan range. It is too far away, though in the months and years to come, it may influence our lives in a way we can’t imagine today.
What is going on in western Tibet?

Very few in India are bothered by what is happening on the other side of the great Himalayan range. It is too far away, though in the months and years to come, it may influence our lives in a way we can’t imagine today.
The Chinese Press has already hinted that something was cooking on a grand scale.
The Global Times ran a story “Sky rail to run from Lhasa to south Tibet; further railway expansion to connect Nepal, Bhutan, India by 2020.”
It announced that the railway linking Lhasa and Shigatse (poetically termed by China as the ‘closest stretch of railway to the sky’) will be open to traffic in August.
The construction of the extension of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, which started in September 2010, will be 254 km long and have 13 stations. Trains will be able to run at a speed of 120 kmph and it will take only 2 hours from Lhasa to Shigatse, the seat of the Panchen Lamas’ and the TAR’s second largest city.
It is the largest infrastructure project in Tibet during the twelfth 5-Year Plan (2011-2015), with an investment of more than $1.7 billion.
Zhu Bin, manager of a mineral company based in Lhasa, frankly admitted to The People’s Daily: “It will accelerate transportation of the mineral products, which could only be transmitted through highways that often risk being cut off during rainy seasons or see vehicle turnovers.”
Another raison d’être of the train is to bring more tourists, Tibet’s main source of revenue (15 million Chinese will visit Tibet in 2014) and to ‘strengthen’ the borders with India by allowing quick movement of troops and armament.
The Global Times also announced that during the 13th Five-Year Plan, the construction of a railway connecting Shigatse with Kyirong in northern Nepal and with Yatung, in the Chumbi Valley set between Sikkim and Bhutan, will start.
Yatung may be a distant dream, but Kyirong is a logical extension of the line as China has extensively invested in this landport to make it the main link between Tibet and Kathmandu, (and economically invade Nepal).But there is more happening in Tibet, particularly in the wilderness of Ngari, the prefecture located west of Ladakh and north of Himachal and Uttarakhand.
First, the unusually-long stay in the Prefecture of Deng Xiaogang, Deputy Party Secretary of the Tibetan Autonomous Region, responsible for the law and order, security and police, “to inspect the border security and the People’s Liberation Army bases”.
During the past two months, he spent most of his time in Western Tibet. On June 20, an article in The Tibet Daily mentions: “Deng Xiaogang inspected Rutok, the border county”. Rudok is located near the Pangong Lake (tso) stretching between India and China; it is where Chinese ‘water’ incursions often occur.
Addressing the border guards, Deng Xiaogang stressed: “Tibet is very special strategic location; it is an important barrier for the national security; development and stability in these border areas is an important part of the region’s overall situation.”
Why is China so nervous about these borders areas?
One reason is probably that China wants to reinforce its border with India, especially after the Modi Sarkar declared that one of its priorities was the development of infrastructure along the borders.
Deng has not been the only Chinese official to visit the beautiful (and strategic) Ngari.
Zhang Yijiong, Deputy Minister of the Central United Front Work Department, who is also the interlocutor-designate for eventual negotiations with the Dalai Lama’s envoys, followed the footsteps of Deng Xiaogang.
Zhang Yijiong visited Purang County, at the trijunction India-Nepal-Tibet, near Mt Kailash. One can be sure that his trip was not a spiritual one. He met policemen, firefighters (for preventing immolations?), officers and troops manning the border with India, the SWAT (commandos) and lectured them on the different aspects of ‘counter-terrorism’ and ‘stabilisation’.
Even more importantly, General Xu Qiliang, a member of the Politburo of the CCP’s Central Committee and one of the two vice-chairmen of the Central Military Commission (CMC) spent time ‘inspecting’ the Xinjiang and Tibet garrisons.
According to a Chinese military website: “Xu Qiliang recently [it is not disclosed when] inspected the troops of the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) and the People’s Armed Police Force (PAPF) garrisoning Xinjiang and Tibet.”
Was the recrudescence of ‘intrusions’ into the Indian territorial waters on the Pangong lake and on the ground (near Demchok), which occurred around that time, a mere coincidence?
On June 24 and 25, the powerful Commander of PAPF, Wang Jianping had visited Lhasa and Ngari prefecture ‘to carry out investigations’. The boss of all paramilitary forces in China, an old Tibet hand (he was posted in Tibet between 1996 and 2000), emphasised that the troops should “resolutely work for the long term peace and stability of Tibet.”
General Wang Jianping’s visit was followed by the arrival in Lhasa of Meng Jianzhu, Politburo member and head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Central Committee. Meng spent five days in Lhasa and Southern Tibet. It is not known if Meng had time to drop by Ngari.
That is not all, Shaanxi Party Secretary Zhao Zhengyong also travelled to Western Tibet. Shaanxi is one of two provinces that have ‘adopted’ Ngari Prefecture by sending hundreds of cadre to carry out infrastructure and developmental projects.
Zhao said that Shaanxi province will incorporate Ngari’s development into its own overall plan, ‘to give impetus to Ngari Prefecture’s new developmental’.
Shaanxi has already donated funds to make Demchok, the border town with India into a ‘model village’ (the traditional Demchok village is in Ladakh, but the Chinese have built/renovated their own Demchok on their side of the LAC).
While CCTV showed new homes, a beautiful guest house (for visiting Chinese VIPS?), a Chinese website explained: “The border line [with India] passes through Dian-jiao [Demchok] village of Tashigang township .On Aug 2011, the Shaanxi donated 4 million US $ to Demchok village for making it a model border village by promoting economic development and consolidation of the border.”
All this is ominous. What to conclude?
These high-profile visits are linked with the railway line soon reaching Shigatse. This will bring a tremendous economic and strategic boost to the region, first around Shigatse and to the new landport in Kyirong which will become the most important link between Tibet and Nepal, but also in Ngari prefecture.
Beijing is keen to open these areas to large-scale tourism like it was earlier done in Lhasa and Nyingchi.
Is the construction of a new guest house in Demchok a sign that China may agree to open the traditional border between Tibet and India? Some voices in Tibet seem in favour, on a small scale at least.
From the Indian side, the situation should be watched vigilantly.

About Reincarnation in the Communist Party

Zhang Yijiong, Ling Jihua (centre) and Sitar (behind)

Communist China is changing very fast.
Even hardcore Marxists of the Central Committee are today interested in the reincarnation system.
In 2012, Hua Jintao's favorite, Ling Jihua did not get the seat in the Politburo which was promised to him.
In an earlier posting, I wrote about his son's Ferrari-accident in which two Tibetan girls (and the boy) were killed. That was the end of Ling's dreams.
He nevertheless became vice-chairperson of the 12th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and minister of the United Front Work Department, in charge of 'Tibetan affairs'.
On July 25, 2014, when he visited the China Tibetology Research Center in Beijing, he showed particular interest in a special exhibition "The Living Buddha Reincarnation System of Tibetan Buddhism" organized by the Center.
Can you believe that the Old Communist Party is organizing exhibition on the reincarnation system? Is is new China?
Mao must be turning in his grave (or mausoleum).
At the Tibetology Center, Mr. Ling gave the usual speech quoting the speeches of his bosses, President Xi Jinping and Yu Zhengsheng, the Chairman of CPPCC. He said that both have given "a series of important instructions on Tibet-related work, pointing out the direction of further development for Tibetan studies".
Ling was accompanied by Zhang Yijiong (Dharamsala's interlocutor in case of talks) and Sitar (a Tibetan) of the United Front Work Department, who recently visited Tibet (particularly the popular Ngari region).
Ling told the officials that he hoped that the China Tibetology Research Center could make "deep investigations and studies, research with great concentration, blaze new trails in a pioneering spirit ...to contribute wisdom and strength for the economic development and social stability of Tibet and Tibetan areas, as well as for the national reunification and ethnic unity."
Well, it is certainly good for today's China to learn about reincarnation.
The study of the reincarnation system might also be good for Mr. Ling.
His end seems to be coming fast.
The South China Morning Post reported last week: "Speculation grows that CPPCC vice-chairman Ling Jihua could be implicated in corruption inquiry as brother-in-law is held in custody."
The Hong Kong daily further believes: "The detention of a relative of Ling Jihua, a former senior aide to ex-president Hu Jintao, has led to speculation the authorities may be building a case against Ling himself."
Wang Jiankang, Ling's brother-in-law is a deputy mayor in Yuncheng in Shanxi province; he was recently been taken into custody.
According to the SMCP, Wang is the latest relative of Ling to be detained: "Last month, Ling's brother Ling Zhengce was taken into custody over allegations of corruption. He is a vice-chairman of the Shanxi CPPCC."
Another source says that Wang's wife, Ling's elder sister Ling Luxian, had also been detained.
Ling Jihua, Hu Jintao's former personal secretary, was once upon the time the rising star of the Party.
The SMCP asserts: "Ling Jihua comes from Shanxi and was said to be a founder of the 'Shanxi gang', officials who either worked their way up the ranks in the coal-rich province or traced their ancestry to there. Several senior officials with links to the province have been detained over allegations of corruption this year."
All this perhaps explains Mr. Ling's interest in 'reincarnation'.
His present political life is probably coming to a close.
It is time to think of 'next one'.

Dharamsala Interlocutor visits Western Tibet

Zhong Yijiong visiting a Tibetan family
when he was posted in Jiangxi

The craze for Ngari continues.
Zhang Yijiong, Deputy Director of the Central United Front Work Department, who is also the interlocutor-designate for eventual negotiations with Dharamsala followed the footsteps of Deng Xiaogang, the Tibetan Autonomous Region’s (TAR) Deputy Secretary who has been spending weeks in the border areas of Western Tibet (Ngari).
Zhang, a member of the all-powerful Central Committee of the Communist Party came to give some guidance to the local cadres on terror issues, counter-terrorism and of course ‘stability' and also to 'encourage cadres and masses of all ethnic groups'.
I also wonder how many ethnic groups, apart from the Tibetans (and the Han soldiers) live in Western Tibet.
Zhang, who was posted in Tibet between 2006 and 2010, was accompanied by a high-level delegation.
Wu Yingjie, Deputy Secretary of the TAR, Deng Xiaogang, in-charge of the Politics and Law Committee (read law and order and security) and Dong Mingjun, one of the TAR’s vice-chairmen were on Zhang’s side.
Before leaving Lhasa, Zhang Yijiong called on Pagbalha Namgyal Rinpoche, the National Vice-Chairman of CPPCC and …oh surprise, on the Panchen Gyalsten Norbu.
It is surprising, because the Lama was supposed to have gone back to Beijing, at least according to The Tibet Daily.
Did he miss the plane?
Or did he decide to experience the blue sky of Western Tibet (or simply visit  'his' Tashilhunpo monastery monastery?) before returning to the polluted Chinese capital?
Or did he take a ride on the Lhasa-Shigatse railway which is expected to be officially inaugurated in August (a month earlier than earlier planned!).
It is not clear from the reports published so far.
Though Zhang Jiong visited Purang County at the trijunction India-Nepal-Tibet, near Mt Kailash, his trip was not spiritual in nature.
He met all the police officers, the firefighters (for preventing immolations?), the officers and troops manning the border with India, the SWAT (commandos) and lectured them on the different aspects of counter-terrorism and ‘stabilization’.
He praised the troops for remaining ‘steady’ despite the cold and lack of oxygen, the harsh environmental conditions and for fulfilling their duties conscientiously without being overtaken by fatigue.
He asked them to continuous remain in fighting spirit "to insure orderly activities, maintain a sustained harmony and stability of Ngari area and work for the development and stability of Tibet".
He thanked them for their important contribution for the nation: “On behalf of the Central United Front Work Department, my heartfelt gratitude and highest respect [to you], I hope you will continue to make persistent efforts, do a solid job for the long-term stability and the overall stability of Tibet”, he told the soldiers.
The caring party leader asked the troops to take care of themselves and pay attention to their health.
Zhang Jiong visited other border posts, always telling the soldiers on duty to fully understand the complexity of the current grim situation (does he refer to the presence of the Dalai Lama in Ladakh?); he asked the border guards to increase their sense of responsibility and their sense of mission.
He also visited some temple (Ke Jia?) and harangued the monks; he also asked about their living conditions and noted that the majority of monks devote themselves to Buddhist practices to improve their religious skills; they are patriotic and unswervingly oppose “the Dalai clique's separatist and sabotage activities” in order to resolutely safeguard the national unification and ethnic unity.
The Party cadres were told that they should make friends with the monks, fully mobilize the enthusiasm of the patriotic and law-abiding monks and nuns and actively help Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to a socialist society; this will be for the common good and create a safe and harmonious environment, he said. All the departments should attach a great importance to the conservation work of the temples in order to protect and promote the cultural heritage of the nation.
This obsession with 'stability' shows that Beijing is quite nervous about the 'stability' of its borders with India.
Later, Zhang Yijiong went to Ngari (Ali in Chinese) where he met the United Front local cadres and other Party workers. He asked them to conscientiously implement the Party's ethnic and religious policies, and comprehensively improve the level of ethnic and religious affairs.
In other words, be nice with the local Tibetans.
Why so much focus on Ngari?
One factor is of course the presence of the Dalai Lama in Ladakh.
Ngari and Ladakh were once upon a time, part of the same kingdom.
Another reason the arrival of Narendra Modi in power in Delhi. The 'Tibet Policy' of the new Government might be different from the one followed by the Congress.
The arrival of the train in Shigatse will also be a game-changer for Western Tibet. According to Chinatibetnews.com, with a total length of 253 kilometers, the Lhasa-Shigatse railway was completed in March 2014, after 4 years of construction, with the tunnels covering 115.7 kilometers, accounting for 45.7 percent of the line length. It will be inaugurated in August.
It means that millions of Chinese tourists will have an easier access to the beautiful 'heritage' sites of Western Tibet.
By the way, I mentioned on this blog that General Wang Jianping, the People's Armed Police Commander visited Lhasa a couple of weeks back. After 'leaving' Lhasa, he reappeared in Urumqi in Xinjiang a few days later. Where did he go in between?
Did he also take a ride on the new train or visit his troops on the border with Ladakh? Nobody knows.

The new Shigatse Railway Station

 

 

What was the Panchen Gyalsten Norbu doing in Lhasa?

Tibet is a popular destination these days, not only for tourism.
After General Wang Jianping, the People's Armed Police Force Commander last week, the Panchen Lama selected by Beijing visited Lhasa ...for 3 days.
Why such a short visit?
Difficult to say.
Officially, the Panchen Lama Gyaltsent Norbu had come for 'inspection' and for his 'religious duty'.
He went to pay homage to Jowo, the statue of the Buddha in the Jokhang Cathedral in Lhasa. Is it considered as his 'religious duty'?
Gyaltsen Norby also went to Sera monastery where he met a few selected monks.
Xinhua later reported: "The 11th Panchen Lama concluded his religious duties in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region on Friday."
He had reached on Tuesday.
The news agency further elaborated: "The 11th Panchen Lama Panchen Gyltsen Norbu, one of the two most revered living Buddhas in Tibetan Buddhism, visited monasteries in Jokhang and Sera, where he performed rituals, including sutra interpretations and blessings."
The name of the second 'most revered one' is of course not mentioned as he is presently in Ladakh performing the Kalachackra.
As a member of the Standing Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) National Committee, Gyaltsen Norbu met CPPCC regional members in Lhasa.
He told them: "As CPPCC members, we should work together on national development and people's interests in Tibet."
Xinhua says: "These visits have become an annual event in recent years."
The question is, why should the visit last 3 days only?
It is  rather strange.
Last year, Gyaltsen Norbu reached Lhasa on August 27 and left mid-October after visiting Tashilhunpo monastery and Sakya. Read my posting on "The Strange Case of the Panchen Lama".
The TAR website (in Chinese) gave more details, particularly about Gyaltsen Norbu's meeting with the Party's big shots in Lhasa on July 2.
The website says: "The Party Secretary of the Tibet Autonomous Region, Chen Quanguo met with the 11th Panchen Erdeni Gyaltsen Norbu in the afternoon at Lhasa. The Vice minister of the United Front Work Department of CPC Central Committee (UFWD) Sithar, leaders of the Autonomous Region like Padma Choling, Wu Yingjie, Gongpo Tashi, Qizha La, Tenzin Langjie, Thupden Kedup [Rinpoche?], Phagpalha Geleg Namgyal Rinpoche, etc. were present during the meeting."
It is interesting that the Lama was accompanied by Sithar, a Tibetan working for the United Front Work Department in Beijing (and earlier posted in Germany).
Chen Quanguo expressed a warm welcome to Gyaltsen Norbu "for returning to Tibet for investigation (research?) and inspection and for carrying out Buddhist activities".
The Party Chief added: "We are truly happy for your growth and progress and give you our heartfelt wishes.”
Chen Quanguo then gave a long lecture to Gyaltsen Norbu, giving a brief on the condition of Tibet’s economic society: "From this year onwards, the Party Committee of the Autonomous Region and the Governmental will lead masses and cadres from every ethnic group, further implement the spirit of the Second and the Third Plenum of the 18th Party Congress; implement the spirit of the series of the important talks delivered by Xi Jinping - especially the important strategic thought of 'To govern a country, we must govern the borders, for governing the borders, we must first make Tibet stable' and the instruction of working hard for Tibet’s sustained stability, long term stability and comprehensive stability."
Obviously, the Chinese leaders are nervous about the situation on the border.
That is the reason Deng Xiaoping is still in Rutok.
What was the real reason of Gyalsten Norbu's visit to Lhasa?
On one side the 'border', the Dalai Lama is revered by the 'masses' (1,50,00 people are attending the Kalachakra) while on a Tibet side, a few apparatchiks meets one Lama that they have selected themselves. There is here a problem for powerful China.
Incidently, Xinhua reported that the 14th Dalai Lama "is now holding the 33rd Kalachakra, or time-wheel, assembly, in Indian Kashmir. The Dalai Lama has recently held the assembly on a yearly basis."
One so-called Tibet expert, Li Decheng, head of the religious studies at the China Tibetology Research Center, explained that "the ceremony incited hatred, terror and extremist action, seriously tarnishing the Kalachakra's nature of solemnity and purity, and affecting the healthy development of Tibetan Buddhism."
To come back to Chen and Gyalsten Norbu, the Party Chief asked the Lama to "implement CPPCC Chairman Yu Zhengsheng’s 'Rule Tibet as per law, build Tibet for the long term, win the hearts of the people and ram the foundation', adhere to 'One Core', 'Two Major Tasks', 'Four Insurances' that have been clearly stated by the Party, innovate, do solid practical work, stick to scientific development, social stability, unity of nationalities, improvement of the nationalities, harmony in religion, good ecology and strengthen the building of the party."
The usual Communist jargon.
Chen Quanguo added that Xi Jinping and the Central Committes are "highly concerned about the growth and progress of the 11th Panchen Lama. The Tibetan compatriots and the Buddhist circles have high hopes about him. We sincerely wish that the 11th Panchen Lama would grow and make even more progress and work hard to become the model of the Great Tibetan Buddhist masters."
Chen then gave 6 advices to Gyaltsen Norbu to become a role model for the masses.
Gyaltsen Norbu gave the expected answer: “In the recent years the Party Standing Committee of the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Government have sincerely implemented the religious policies of the government, strengthened and innovated the management of the monasteries, has shown concern for the monks and implemented a series of policies that were beneficial for the monastery and the monks. In this process, Tibetan Buddhism has found its roots once again."
Gyaltsen Norbu said that the development of a religion and the fate of a nation are deeply interrelated: “As a person from the religious background, I must have unwavering patriotism, I must unwaveringly walk on the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and persistently harbour mercy in my mind to deliver the masses from difficulty. The world of Tibetan Buddhism must treasure and protect the good situation prevailing now, must promote and safeguard harmony and the stability of the society in a better manner, and must serve the China’s Dream of rejuvenation of the Chinese nation in a better manner."
Well, this does not explain, how his religious duties and his inspection tour could be completed in a record 3 days (compared to 6 weeks last year).
Sometimes, I think that the Communist leadership does not really trust 'their' Panchen Lama. Let us not forget that the late 10th Panchen Lama was also 'their' choice. He turned out to be one of the greatest Tibetan patriot.
And why to come to Lhasa, just to receive a lecture from Chen Quanguo?
Why did Sithar need to accompany him?
All these questions have no answer today, except perhaps that the leadership is nervous.
By the way, as Gyaltsen Norbu was leaving, guess who arrived in the Tibetan capital?
Zhang Yijiong, the head of the Office of the Central Work Coordination Leading Small Group on Tibet, and Deputy Secreraty of the UFWD.
He is the one who will eventually lead the Chinese delegation, if talks with Dharamsala are one day resumed.
Zhang is also the direct boss of Sithar.
The climate in Lhasa must be pleasant these days.

In Jokhang

Meeting the Party bosses

With Phagphala

In Sera Monastery

In Jokhang

The Boss has come (Part II)

Yu with Dupkang Rinpoche

Today, I shall continue with the visit of Yu Zhengsheng to Lhasa and Nagchu.
It is rather surprising that this 'important' visit has been omitted by the international (and Indian) press.
Radio Free Asia reported that: "Chinese authorities in Tibet’s regional capital Lhasa have deployed over 1,000 police and armed security personnel at a large monastery in the outskirts of Lhasa during the Shoton, or ‘Yogurt,’ Festival, causing hardships for Tibetans hoping to take part in the annual celebration. The security presence at the festival, traditionally held at Drepung monastery outside the city, is much heavier than in previous years, an area resident told RFA’s Tibetan Service this week. They have turned the whole area into something that looks like a battle zone."
Obviously, there were security arrangements for the Shoton festival, but Yu was in town, and it could not be ignored by the local authorities.
As mentioned earlier, the visit of Lhasa and Nagchu was extensive, Yu 'inspected' numbers of 'work units' and tried to get acquainted with all the aspects of the life in Tibet (development of course, but also education, monasteries (here with Dupkang Rinpoche of the Buddhist Association of China), industries, security, environment, nomadic life, etc.).
Yu's visit is probably in relation with the forthcoming CCP's meetings in Beidaihe where he will give a report of his findings in Tibet (and in Xinjiang) to the Central Committee; domestic issues will be discussed in the sea resort, ahead of formal party meetings (Plenum) later this year .
Though Yu called on the old leaders Jampa Phuntsog, Phakpalha and Ragdi and conveyed Comrade Xi Jinping's greetings to them, he did not take the around.
While visiting a unit of the People's Armed Police, he praised the late Commander, General Guo Yili who recently passed away.
In Lhasa, he also inquired about the infamous grid management.
I shall continue to have a look at some of the members of the delegation who accompanied him from Beijing, in order to try to see which direction, China's Tibet policy could take.

Du Ying, Vice Minister of the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC)
Du Ying has been associated with China’s Western Development Programme (or Open up the West Campaign), a regional development programme put in place by the State Council in 2000. Its objective is “to enhance the economy and social development level, and consolidating national defence of western regions by using the best economic development capabilities of eastern regions.”
For the purpose ‘energy’ (particularly renewable energy, i.e. solar or hydropower) is the key as “substantial resources of western China can be tapped”.
The Chinese government believes that it can “go hand in hand with economic development. Energy development in western China will also fall under national security issues.”
In January 2000, a State Council established the Western Development Program management team. Twelve regions were included: Chongqing Municipality and the provinces of Gansu, Guangxi, Guizhou, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shanxi, Sichuan, Tibet, Yunnan and Xinjiang.
It means 70% of landmass of the PRC.
From 2000 to September 2009, support from the central bank totaled to RMB 550.7 billion (US 325 billion).
Under this scheme, China has started the largest amount of projects of its investment’s history. Some can be cited: transferring western electricity to the east in three passageways, completing the highest railway in the world and the longest highland railway in China, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, massive dams in Sichuan province and over 6,500 miles of natural gas pipeline from western to eastern China.
Du Ying, who visited Tibet as part of Yu Zhengsheng’s delegation, said in 2010: "Economic growth, in sharp contrast to previous records, has reached 11.9%, year on year (in western regions). In the past 10 years [2000-2010], the main macroeconomic indicators have more than doubled, and we've seen breakthroughs in infrastructure development.”
According to a report by the Center for Studies of China Western Economic Development at Northwest University in Xi'an (Shaanxi Province), Western China's GDP per capita has increased in recent years from $ 600 to $ 1,933.
It was however admitted that the massive hydropower and infrastructure projects there have caused problems that include desertification, soil erosion and water scarcity.

Water Quality?
China will invest 175 billion yuan ($27.5 billion) before the end of 2015 to ensure safe drinking water in rural areas. During a session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, a State Council presented a five-year plan for improving rural drinking water quality.
According to the report, the central government will subsidize 68 percent, or about 118.8 billion yuan, of the total investment, while another 22 percent of the funds will be allocated by local governments and 10 percent will be assumed by rural residents.
Vice-Minister of Water Resources Li Guoying said that for less-developed western areas, like Tibet, the central government will bear all of the costs.
Du Ying participated to the discussion and stated that the number of rural residents who lacked access to safe drinking water dropped by 221 million from 2004 to 2010, however, it was admitted that improving the quality of drinking water in China has been challenging, particularly in rural areas, as many as 298 million rural residents still lack safe water.
Was he in Tibet to check the quality of the water?
Incidentally, it was recently reported that Chinese Vice Premier Wang Yang has been appointed ‘commander’ of the State Council's earthquake relief and disaster control committee.
Du Ying is one of the unit's deputy commanders.

Sithar, vice-minister of the Party's United Front Work Department
In 2008, Benjamin Kang Lim described Sithar (or Sitar) in an article: “One-time Tibetan serf now frontman for China”
Lim wrote: “For many fellow Tibetans, Sitar is a Chinese government puppet, but for the Communist Party, the former serf is a model of loyalty and rising political star.”
The Reuters correspondent continues: “Sitar, who goes by one name and whose ancestors were serfs for generations until 1959, has risen to be a vice-minister of the Party's United Front Work Department and a key defender of government policy in Tibet.
Lim continued: “He has emerged as one of the most prominent ethnic Tibetans backing China's fight against Tibet's spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, and his government-in-exile based in northern India. In that role, Sitar has come to embody the divide between a Tibetan political elite that has embraced China's programme for controlling and developing the region, and discontented Tibetans and exiles who instead see exploitation and repression.”
An official document quoted Sitar as saying (he turned down two Reuters interview requests): “China blames the Dalai Lama ‘clique’ for last month's deadly rioting in Lhasa and anti-China protests which have dogged the international torch relay for the Beijing Olympics. It was the Party who nurtured me. I'm absolutely loyal to the Party and the motherland. This is firm and unshakeable.”
The document which name Sitar as one of the Party's 50 outstanding members in 2006, said: "He has bathed in the Party's sunlight since childhood."
Lim asserted: “In launching a campaign to learn from Sitar that year, then Minister of United Front Liu Yandong [now Politburo member] praised him for rejecting overtures from the government-in-exile to defect when he was a diplomat at the Chinese consulate in Zurich in the late 1980s.”
It seems that Liu considered ‘comrade Sitar as a model ... politically firm, loyal to the Party and dares to shoulder heavy responsibilities’.

The Seventh Bureau
In 2005, the Communist Party's United Front Work Department (UFWD) established a new bureau to handle Tibetan affairs and appointed Sithar as Director. The Tibetan affairs portfolio moved from the Second Bureau, which handles ethnic and religious affairs, to the new Seventh Bureau. Sithar previously served as a deputy director of the Second Bureau.
The UFWD oversees the implementation of Party policy toward China's eight ‘democratic’ political parties, ethnic and religious groups, intellectuals, and even entrepreneurs.
The International Campaign for Tibet (ICT) explained: “The UFWD hosted Special Envoy Lodi Gyari and Envoy Kelsang Gyaltsen, the Dalai Lama's representatives, during visits to China in September 2002, May-June 2003, September 2004, and February 2006… During the visits, the envoys met with UFWD officials including Liu Yandong, Head of the UFWD, Deputy Heads Zhu Weiqun and Li Dezhu (Li Dek Su), and Sithar in an effort to engage Chinese officials in substantive dialogue about the future of Tibetans and their religion, language, and culture. After the envoys' 2006 visit, the Dalai Lama disclosed in a March 10 speech that his envoys relayed a request to Chinese leaders to permit him to visit China as a religious pilgrim.”
ICT continued: “The creation of the Seventh Bureau may signal that the Party leadership has attached increased importance to Tibetan issues.”
According to a report published in the Singtao Daily [Hong Kong's second largest Chinese language newspaper], the mission of the Seventh Bureau is to cooperate with relevant parties in struggling against secessionism by enemies, both local and foreign, such as the Dalai Lama clique, and to liaise with overseas Tibetans”.
Lately, it was rumoured that Sithar was out of favour in Beijing, but after Yu Zhengsheng’s visit to Lhasa, he seems back on the Tibetan stage.

Zhang Yijiong, Executive Vice Minister of the United Front Department
Zhang Yijiong replaced Zhu Weiqun a few months ago as the Executive Vice Minister in charge of Tibet Affairs in the UFWD.
Zhang will take over Zhu’s position as the Chinese governments' representative in talks with the Tibetan government in exile, if any.
Zhang is a native of Shanghai and joined the Communist Party of China in 1976. He was Deputy Secretary of CPC Tibet Autonomous Region Committee from 2006 to 2010.
He is a member of the 18th CCP Central Committee.
During Yu’s visit, Zhang was seen with his boss almost all the pictures. A good sign …for him at least!

During his 'secret' visit, Yu stressed the need for thoroughly implementing the central spirit of the Fifth Tibet Work Forum and the spirit of the important instructions given by General Secretary Xi Jinping; to firmly grasp the two aspects of Tibet policy, namely development and stability.
Yu further said: "We must unswervingly push forward economic and social development, scientific planning development ideas; the idea is to​​ establish a long-term hard work with the goal of solidly building a moderately prosperous society." It sounds like the 'Chinese Dream'.
He also advised:

• to use better the existing policies
• to highlight the improvement in people's livelihood
• to make all efforts to look after the urgent need of the people, so that the fruits of development benefit the masses in a more and more equitable manner
• to strengthen an ecological civilization construction
• to adhere to the economic development and ecological environment construction
• to take the environment road of civilized development

(Sorry for the jargon, it is what he said)
Nothing very new, except that Beijing will more and more play the 'development' card to control the restive area.