Tibet's economy will see unprecedented opportunity for growth in 2015.

Southwest China's Tibet, not only abuts upon the Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region, Qinghai, Sichuan, Yunnan provinces which are located in the "One Belt, One Road", but also borders with India, Nepal, and other South Asian countries. Historically, as an important participant in the Southern Silk Road and the Old Tea Horse Road, Tibet has played a vital role in the exchanges between China and South Asian countries.

Now, the "One Belt, One Road" initiative, which will benefit half of the world's population, will once again bring about new opportunities for Tibet's economic development. In creating "China's Opening of an International South Asian Thoroughfare," Tibet is the inevitable choice for the first-round plan for increased economic connectivity with the nearby foreign powers.

Recently, the Tibet-related documentary "The Third Pole", which is credited as amasterpiece, went popular in WeChat's social function (known as "Pengyouquan" in Chinese). The tourist industry is one of the important sources of economy for Tibet.The documentary will surely become a positive image of Tibet. Tibet will undoubtedly seize this excellent opportunity, carrying out reforms on the management of its scenic spots, pushing hard to develop unique, high-end tourist products in order to promote travel, culture, ecology, Tibetan medicine, and expand access to ethnic handicrafts. All of these will improve the Tibet travel experience of the visitors. Bringing about Tibet's travel supply chain and elevating its industry, its environment, economic return, and societal benefits will be upgraded. Hence, Tibet, known as the "world travel destination," will be more beautiful in its landscapes and advanced in its cultural development.

Before the 1950s, the British presented Tibet a car. But since there was not a single paved road in it, it was dismantled and transported to Lhasa by livestocks. Over the past years, with the support of the central government and the implementation of the "Western Development" initiative, the long-term transport problem that plagued Lhasa's economic development has resolved.

In 2007, the opening of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway brought an end to Tibet's history without trains. In 2013, Mêdog, the country's only county without highways, was officially opened to traffic. In 2014, the Shiigatse railway was officially put into operation, overturning the complete reliance on travel by road. The construction of a highway from Lhasa to Nyingchi is also speeding up, and the construction of the Lhasa-Nyningchi in railway is expected to start this year. In addition, the former largest trading port with Nepal, Gyirong, will be expanded, and the construction of a second Tibet-Sichuan railway will begin. This year, Tibet will propose the construction of a railroad ringing around the Himalayas. These projects appear to be very beneficial for Tibet's economy, which is sure to create more momentum.

Although Tibet's economy has experienced 21 years of continuous double-digit growth, it still faces problems due to its unstable and ubalanced growth. Looking at the influences on Tibet's growth, there are still deviations from the optimal growth. External efforts to expand the economy have not been sufficient, while inter-industrial relations are of poor quality. Furthermore, exports and imports are not balanced, and the regional economic growth is more dependent on government spending. In other words, Tibet's self-development ability is not strong enough.

As a typical economically dependent economy, Tibet's development depends heavily on the support from the central government. In the future, consistent and diligent support is needed in order for the region to be able to become "economically independent." Persistent external aid and a focus on continuing to produce a self-sufficient economy, as well as ongoing computer technology development and construction of infrastructure will promote the development of industry. Superior science and technology will pave the way for economic growth, providing more and more internal economic capability for the region. Only then can the cycle of Tibet's dependency on external aid be broken.