The Chinese government on Tuesday issued a white paper on "Development and Progress in Tibet".

It shows the region's development over the past 60-plus years and the path to a better future for Tibetans.

Progress in modern Tibet comes from its social and historical environment, and has its roots in China's progress in a larger context. The fate of Tibet has always been closely linked to the fate of China, and as part of China, must follow the general pattern of national social reform.

A society of feudal serfdom under theocratic rule will never bring progress, nor will so-called "Tibetan independence."

Believers in the "Shangri-La" myth wish to keep Tibet in a backward primitive state forever. They intentionally distort both the past and present of Tibet due to ideological bias or to serve their own interests.

Six decades of development in Tibet show socialist China, under the rule of the Communist Party of China, has rendered the region prosperous with ethnic unity and democracy. It is the Tibetan people who have benefited most from Tibet's development and progress.

Tibet's gross regional product has grown from 129 million yuan (21 million U.S. dollars) in 1951 to 70.1 billion yuan last year, representing an annual growth of 8.5 percent on average.

Democratic reform lifted Tibet out of theocratic feudal serfdom and put in place systems of people's congress and regional ethnic autonomy, under which people of all ethnic groups have become the true masters of the country, society and of their own fate.

Tibetan culture has been preserved and developed. Freedom of religious belief has been respected and protected. Study and use of the Tibetan language and script are protected by law in China, and bilingual education, with Tibetan as the principal language, is widespread in Tibet.

Moreover, Tibet is one of the world's cleanest areas, thanks to its efforts to preserve its ecological system by limiting grazing and protecting natural resources.

Behind the "Tibet miracle" lies the firm adherence to the China road, which respects Tibetans. Tibet has experienced more than six decades of transformation from the dark ages to modern socialism, a journey that took human society hundreds of years.

The 14th Dalai Lama and his clique in exile continue their separatist activities, sabotaging the development and stability of Tibet, plotting violent attacks and inciting Tibetans to self-immolate. This clique owes the international community an account of the "Tibetan orphans" incident, exposed by a Swiss newspaper that shows their callousness and hypocrisy.

Tibet's miracle over the past 60 years means Tibetans have equal rights to enjoy the achievements of modern civilization, to improve the quality of their lives, and to choose their own way of life.

                                                                                                                           Editor:Karen Lin