For the 13th Five-Year Plan（2016-2020), National Economy and Social Development Plan of the Tibet Autonomous Region initiates to: “Establish a three-hour economic circle which is centered at Lhasa and radiates Shigatse, Shannan, Nyingchi and Naqu”, which has shortened one hour in the comparison with the plan during the 12th Five-year Plan(2011-2015).  

Entering the 13th Five-Year Plan period, the second-phrase construction project of Lhasa-Nyingchi high-level public road has been pushed forward and will be completed next year; the Lhasa-Nyingchi Railroad has been stepped up; on August 26th the express passageway connecting Lhasa and Tsethang in Shannan officially began constructing; the terminal zone extension project for the Milin Airport in Nyingchi is going to finish this year; the body project for Lhasa city ring roads will be completed by endof this year; the preparation work for construction of a high-level road from Lhasa to Nagqu as well as a special railway line connecting Lhasa with Maldrogungkar was carried out solidly.  

“The construction of traffic infrastructure is a foundation which is for the long run,” said Han Yuanlin, an inspector from the General Office of the People’s Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region. He states that for Tibet, if the traffic constraints are not resolved then it will be very difficult to realize development. The construction and establishment of a series of large transportation infrastructure projects which are represented by the Lhasa-Nyingchi high-level public road as well as the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway have had positive impacts on the life of the local people, tourism development, social stability and for construction of the frontier areas.

At the moment, there are obvious aggregation effects and competitive strengths brought by the one-hour-speeding up of central and Southern Tibet’s economic circle. The central cities such as Lhasa are becoming the “engine” that pushes forward the economic growth of Tibet and are playing a crucial role in carrying out the “One Belt and One Road” strategy.