From Nov 10 to 11, the Third Forum on the Development of Tibet, aimed at promoting interaction between Western countries and China to stimulate the Tibet autonomous region's development, was held in Athens, Greece. 

Without doubt the forum achieved great success in offering the world a clearer picture of Tibet and stimulating cooperation for its development. More than 300 participants from China, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Greece, India and Nepal attended the forum, discussed a wide range of issues and agreed on topics such as tourism, investment, education and environmental protection in Tibet. 

"Today, the snow-capped plateau is enjoying a golden era of development, with a growing economy, an evolving society, a prosperous culture, a high standard of living, coexistence among different religions and a happy working and family life for local people," said Wang Chen, minister of the State Council Information Office, in his speech at the opening ceremony. 

Nyima Tsering, vice-chairman of the standing committee of the Tibet autonomous region's people's congress, described the great changes that have taken place in Tibet since its peaceful liberation in 1951, as well as the current economic prosperity and rapid social development. And, as a host, he warmly invited more international guests to visit Tibet. 

Du Qiwen, China's ambassador to Greece, said Tibet has been receiving an increasing number of tourists for the last 30 years. About 6.85 million tourists visited Tibet last year, he said. He welcomed more friends from Greece and all over the world to visit the region. 

The sincerity of the participants was echoed by Konstantinos Vrettos, chairman of the Greek Parliament Committee on National Defense and Foreign Affairs, who said the forum was the best channel for Greeks to hear China's voice. 

China has emerged as an important political force in the world with its huge currency reserves, progressing economy and political stability, Vrettos said. China has well protected Tibet's traditional culture, he said, adding that some Western reports on Tibet were not true and "we should learn" the truth about Tibet. 

For a long time, some Western countries and media outlets have raised doubts about Tibet's development. They say human rights are violated in Tibet. But facts prove their allegations to be baseless. 

To better illustrate the facts about today's Tibet, the forum invited many writers and intellectuals, who have visited Tibet, to share their experiences. Maxime Vivas, who has just published a book on the Dalai Lama, told participants about some dark sides of the "living Buddha" like intervening in politics and publicly dispelling a branch of Buddhist believers. 

Brendan O'Neill, editor-in-chief of British magazine Spiked, said that concern over environmental problems in Tibet is different from politicizing the issue, and that some activists are in fact depriving Tibet of its development opportunities when they claim to be "protecting" the region from human intervention. 

The forum is a precious opportunity to show Greek and Western audiences the true picture of Tibet, whose problem is in fact a problem of interaction and communication, Sameh El-Shahat, CEO of UK-based China-I Ltd, said. 

Narasimhan Ram, editor-in-chief and publisher of The Hindu and other publications in India, even used "ridiculous" to describe some Western countries that blame China for the "Tibet problem". The fact that no country recognizes Tibet as an independent state while many Western countries repeatedly force China to "negotiate" with Tibet is "self-contradictory", Ram said. 

Perhaps the communiqu of the forum is the best answer to those who insist on challenging China because of the "Tibet problem". The communiqu said: "Modernization is a common pursuit of all countries and regions across the globe, and Tibet's modernization drive is in line with the fundamental interests of the Tibetan people."