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Tibet's GDP up 60% due to Qinghai-Tibet Railway

People's Daily Online

The opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has been a boon for the economic and social development of Qinghai province and the Tibet Autonomous Region, and in particular, for Tibet’s GDP, which reached 43.7 billion yuan in 2009, an increase of 60 percent compared to 2005 prior to the opening of the railway, according to Hong Kong-based Wen Wei Po.

Furthermore, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway has also promoted the “growth spurt” of the tourist industry in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. In 2009, Tibet received more than 5.5 million tourists, an increase of 40 percent from the previous record number in 2007. It is now easier than ever to travel to Tibet.

The officer quoted relevant statistical data showing that over the three years between 2007 through 2009, Tibet’s GDP was up each year by 14 percent, 10 percent and 12 percent, respectively. Meanwhile, Qinghai’s GDP was up by almost 13 percent in the first two years and by 10 percent in the following year. In 2009, Qinghai’s GDP topped the milestone of 100 billion yuan.

After the Qinghai-Tibet Railway was put into operation, Tibet had initially established a comprehensive transportation system consisting of railways, roads, aviation and pipelines. The increased transportation capacity has lowered the transportation costs of bulk goods in and out of Tibet. The railway transportation rate stands at 0.12 yuan per ton-kilometre, 0.27 yuan lower than the road transportation rate. Thus, the cost of transporting goods from Xining to Lhasa by railway can be more than 500 yuan per ton lower than by road.

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