(TibetanReview.net, May31’21) – China has inaugurated on May 30 a National Sichuan-Tibet Railway Technology Innovation Center in its high-tech development zone in Chengdu, capital of Sichuan Province, in order to develop core technologies and promote major innovations in the construction of its strategic second railway line into occupied Tibet. President Xi Jinping had earlier called for a speedy and qualitative construction of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway due to its strategic importance but the geological challenges in the Sino-Tibet border area has proved insurmountable thus far.
While the China section of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway is already operational and the Tibet section will open this year, the third section that links China with occupied Tibet has proved to be a tough nut to crack on the basis of existing technologies.
Hence, the new center will focus on the building and engineering needs of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, including construction, environmental protection, disaster protection, equipment research, operation management and other tasks of the project, reported China’s official globaltimes.cn May 24.
The report said the center will also promote major scientific and technological innovation and key technical solutions with a full-supply chain service system that includes big data intelligent support, inspection and testing, and consulting and training.
The report also said the platform will support cooperation and resource sharing among related enterprises, universities and research institutes, and investment institutions to attract and cultivate high-end innovative talents.
The report called the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, which runs between Sichuan’s capital Chengdu and occupied Tibet’s capital Lhasa, one of the most challenging engineering construction projects in human history by far.
The report said that after its completion, the railway will not only accelerate the overall economic development of the Tibet Autonomous Region but will also play an important role in safeguarding border stability.
The construction of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway is of strategic importance for the overall development of Tibet, Xiong Kunxin, a professor of ethnic studies at the Tibet University in Lhasa, was quoted as saying.
Xiong has also said the project will help transport modern equipment and cutting-edge technologies from China to Tibet and move local products out of the it.
