(TibetanReview.net, Aug26’25) – With the population of towns and cities in Tibet already overwhelmingly Chinese immigrants, Beijing wants to maintain, or even speed up, the momentum of the Sinicization there by ensuring for them urban infrastructure and facilities as well as well as cultural life of the mainland areas they have left behind. On Aug 26, China’s state assets regulator issued a statement, calling on Chinese state-owned enterprises to deepen industrial aid to Tibet, including increasing infrastructure investment and development, reported Reuters Aug 26.
The commission overseeing state-owned assets emphasised more targeted measures, including developing advantageous industries that suit local conditions in Tibet, the report said.
It is stated to have urged more projects such as the highly controversial and what will be the world’s largest hydropower project located in the lower reaches of the Yarlung Tsangpo river and a railway connecting Tibet to Sichuan, while encouraging state-owned firms to step up funds to improve local livelihoods.
The Tibetan population continues to be overwhelmingly rural, benefiting very little from employment and other opportunities generated by China’s massive infrastructure, mining, and other projects in their homeland. Chinese companies bring their own workers from mainland China for these projects, denying local Tibetans much needed employment opportunity.
The report noted that the instructions had come days after President Xi Jinping visited Tibet to mark the 60th founding anniversary of the “autonomous region” last week in a celebration featuring songs, dances and placards floating through a parade in the capital Lhasa that told all to heed the Communist Party’s leadership.
The regulator has also underscored employment assistance including for university graduates, and further enhancing national unity in Tibet. However, such assistance tends to favour the Chinese immigrant community while Tibetans need to prove love and loyalty to the Communist party of China-state to be able to avail such job opportunities.
“Through project construction, industrial cooperation and cultural exchange, we should better contribute to border stability and security,” the statement was stated to have added.
China employs the term “Xizang” for “Tibet Autonomous Region”, and uses it synonymously with “Tibet” which, in fact, includes large chunks of Tibetan territories that today constitute the Qinghai province and significant parts of Gansu, Sichuan and Yunnan provinces.