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Lhasa, July 19 (Xinhuanet) -- The following is the full text of
the speech made by Chinese vice president Hu Jintao here Thursday
at the rally in celebration of the 50th anniversary of peaceful
liberation of Tibet.
Speech by Vice-President Hu Jintao at the Rally in Celebration of
the 50th Anniversary of the Peaceful Liberation of Tibet
(19 July 2001)
Hu Jintao
Comrades and Friends,
Today, the ancient city of Lhasa is covered in gala decorations
with red flags flying in the Potala Square and the Yarlung Zangbo
River gurgling delightfully. We members of the delegation from the
Central Government, together with cadres and people of all ethnic
groups in Tibet, are holding this grand celebration to mark the
50th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet with joy and
elation. First of all, I wish to extend, on behalf of the CPC
Central Committee, the NPC Standing Committee, the State Council,
the CPPCC National Committee and the Central Military Commission,
our warm congratulations and cordial greetings to workers, farmers
and herdsmen, intellectuals, cadres and people from all walks of
life of all ethnic groups in Tibet and to officers and men of the
PLA Garrison and of units of the People's Armed Police Force (PAPF)
and public security officers in Tibet. Our high tribute goes to
all the comrades and friends who have contributed to the peaceful
liberation, prosperity and development of Tibet, and our heartfelt
thanks to the foreign friends who have cared for and supported the
development and progress of Tibet.
Fifty years ago, the CPC Central Committee and Comrade Mao
Zedong, having correctly assessed the situation, made a far-
sighted, resolute and significant policy decision to liberate
Tibet peacefully. The Central People's Government and the former
local government of Tibet signed the Agreement on Measures for the
Peaceful Liberation of Tibet, thus bringing about the peaceful
liberation of Tibet. The peaceful liberation of Tibet was a major
event in modern Chinese history and an epoch-making turning point
in the course of development in Tibet. It symbolized that Tibet
once and for all cast off the yoke of imperialist aggression and
that the great unity of the Chinese nation and its great
reunification cause have entered a new period of development. It
ushered in a new era in which Tibet would turn from darkness to
light, from backwardness to progress, from poverty to affluence
and from seclusion to openness.
Over the past 50 years, which is just a wink of the eye in the
long history of human progress, the ancient and fascinating land
of Tibet has undergone unrivaled changes and worked unprecedented
miracles on earth.
Over the past 50 years, Tibet has achieved a leap forward in
the historical development of social systems and embarked on a
socialist road. With the abolition of feudal serfdom, under which
the Tibetan people had long been suppressed and exploited,
millions of erstwhile serfs who did not even have the minimum of
human rights have now stood up and become masters of their own
fate. Today people of all ethnic groups are fully enjoying
political, economic, cultural and other rights and having complete
control of their destiny.
Over the past 50 years, Tibet has made substantial headway in
its economic development, and the living standards of its people
have improved markedly. Through democratic reform, socialist
transformation and reform and opening-up, the social productive
forces of Tibet have been emancipated and developed in an
unprecedented manner. Last year, the GDP of Tibet was more than
fifty times that of 1959 when democratic reform started. The
Autonomous Region has built up its infrastructure from scratch.
The income of urban and rural residents has increased steadily,
with the overwhelming majority of people out of poverty and some
people leading comfortable lives. This stands in stark contrast to
the plight of the destitute people in the old Tibet.
Over the past 50 years, the socialist spiritual civilization in
Tibet has been steadily enhanced and society has moved forward in
an all-round way. Educational, scientific and technological,
cultural, public health and other social undertakings have been
developing vigorously. People of all ethnic groups in Tibet have
generally had enhanced political awareness, higher ethical
standards and scientific and educational levels. The fine
traditional culture in Tibet has not only been protected,
inherited and carried forward, but also substantiated to reflect
people's new lives and meet the new requirements of social
development called for by the times.
Over the past 50 years, solidarity among all ethnic groups in
Tibet has been constantly strengthened and social stability there
has been maintained on the whole. With the execution of the Party'
s policies on ethnic and religious affairs and the all-round
implementation of the system of regional autonomy of ethnic
minorities, the socialist ethnic relationship, which features
equality, solidarity and mutual assistance, has been growing in
strength. People's freedom of religious belief has been fully
respected and protected. People of all ethnic groups have worked
in unity and succeeded in foiling the separatist and disruptive
activities of the Dalai clique and anti-China forces in the world
time and again, and thus safeguarded stability in Tibet and
national unity and state security.
With the passage of 50 extraordinary years, Tibet of today
presents a scene of vitality and prosperity with economic growth,
social progress and stability, ethnic solidarity and solid border
defense. The people here are living and working in peace and
contentment.
The credit for the remarkable achievements of Tibet in the past
50 years goes to the wise decision-making and correct leadership
of the three generations of central collective leadership of the
Party with comrades Mao Zedong, Deng Xiaoping and Jiang Zemin at
the core respectively during different historical periods in Tibet
's development. The achievements are also attributable to the all-
out support of the state to Tibet and the continual aid of the
people across the country. The achievements are also the result of
the concerted efforts by the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet,
who have displayed the extraordinary spirit of fortitude, hard
work, endurance, solidarity and utter devotion.
Reflecting on the past in light of the present, one should bear
in mind where his/her happiness comes from. At this moment, we
deeply cherish the memory of proletarian revolutionaries of the
older generation such as Mao Zedong and Deng Xiaoping who
initiated and laid the foundation for the development and progress
of Tibet. We also deeply cherish the memory of the martyrs and
heroes who dedicated their youth, wisdom, strength and even
invaluable lives to the revolution, construction and reform in
Tibet and to the defense of the frontier of the motherland. Their
heroic names and meritorious deeds will be eulogized through the
ages and go down in history!
The course of 50 years of storms and vicissitudes has brought
to light a great truth: It is only under the leadership of the
Communist Party of China, only in the embrace of the big family of
the motherland and only by firmly taking the socialist road with
Chinese characteristics that Tibet can enjoy today's prosperity
and progress and an even better tomorrow. This is the most
important conclusion that we have drawn from the 50 years of Tibet
's development and also the fundamental principle that must be
followed in building and developing Tibet in the days to come.
Comrades and Friends,
Tibet is in the southwestern frontier of the motherland, with a
vast stretch of land and a most important strategic position. The
development, stability and security of Tibet have a direct bearing
on the fundamental interests of people of all ethnic groups in
Tibet as well as ethnic solidarity, national unity and state
security. It is the common aspiration and mission of people of
all ethnic groups in China, the Tibetan people included, to build
on the prosperity and progress and maintain stability and
solidarity in Tibet.
At present, China has entered a new stage of development in
which it will build a well-to-do society in an all-round manner
and accelerate the socialist modernization drive. Tibet has also
entered an important period for faster development and maintenance
of stability. Recently, Comrade Jiang Zemin made an important
speech at a rally in celebration of the 80th anniversary of the
founding of the Communist Party of China. He systematically
summarized the achievements and basic experience of the 80-year-
long struggle of our Party, profoundly expounded the scientific
connotation of the important concept of the "Three Represent's",
correctly answered major questions that need to be studied and
resolved for Party building in the new historical period and
further identified the objectives and tasks of the Party in the
new century. This important speech is a Marxist programmatic
document which will guide our efforts to advance the great cause
of building socialism with Chinese characteristics and the new and
great project of Party building. It also provides a strong
ideological weapon for accelerated development of Tibet in the new
century. Not long ago, the CPC Central Committee and the State
Council held the fourth working conference on Tibet, at which a
magnificent blueprint for Tibet's development for the first few
years of the new century was mapped out and the guiding principles
of vital importance for the work of Tibet were formulated.
According to the plan of the conference, the Central Government
and all localities throughout the country will intensify their
support to Tibet and help create even more favorable conditions
for its development. As one of the priority regions in the
development of China's west, Tibet is faced with unprecedented
opportunities for development.
The Central Government ardently hopes that the vast number of
cadres and people of Tibet will earnestly study and implement the
essential points of President Jiang Zemin's important speech on 1
July and the spirit of the fourth working conference on Tibet,
seize the opportunities and make good use of them, and forge ahead
in a pioneering spirit in an earnest effort to move the Tibetan
economy from step-by-step development to leapfrog development and
Tibetan society from relative stability to lasting peace and
stability.
Rapid economic development is the fundamental condition for
realizing the interests of all ethnic groups in Tibet and also the
basic guarantee for greater ethnic unity and continued stability
there. Cadres and people of all ethnic groups in Tibet should
further emancipate their minds, update their concepts and press
ahead with the reform and opening-up so as to create a sound
social and institutional environment for economic development. It
is essential to work hard, practice economy, make careful plans
and calculations, and cherish and make good use of Government
investment and financial assistance by other regions of the
country to ensure full economic and social returns for aid
projects. It is essential to rely on your own efforts, work
assiduously, truly depend on your own enthusiasm, initiative and
creativity, and bring them into full play. It is essential to
vigorously develop an economy with distinctive local
characteristics by making full use of abundant local resources and
speed up strategic readjustment to your economic structure in a
bid to turn your rich natural resources into actual economic
strength. It is essential to implement the strategy of
revitalizing Tibet through science and education in a
comprehensive manner, advocate a social environment of respect for
knowledge and talented people, and work hard to advance science,
technology and education so that you may truly depend on
scientific and technical progress and improved quality of the work
force for economic growth. It is essential to pay great attention
to the environment, step up the protection and improvement of the
eco-system so as to achieve a sustainable economic and social
development in Tibet.
Greater ethnic unity and lasting social stability are where the
fundamental interests of people of all ethnic groups in Tibet lie.
Without ethnic unity and social stability, its economy cannot
develop smoothly and its people cannot enjoy their work and lives.
Cadres and people of all ethnic groups in Tibet should always hold
high the banners of patriotism and ethnic unity, bear in mind that
"the Han people and ethnic minorities are inseparable from each
other, so are ethnic minorities themselves" and that people of all
ethnic groups should truly share weal and woe. It is essential to
stick to and improve the system of regional ethnic autonomy and
further consolidate and develop the socialist ethnic relationship
of equality, solidarity and mutual assistance. It is essential to
correctly and comprehensively implement the Party's policy of
freedom of religious belief so that people of all ethnic groups
will unite and cooperate with each other politically, respect each
other's beliefs, and throw all their weight behind faster
development and continued stability in Tibet. It is essential to
fight unequivocally against the separatist activities by the Dalai
clique and anti-China forces in the world, vigorously develop a
good situation of stability and unity in Tibet and firmly
safeguard national unity and state security.
The PLA Garrison, PAPF units and the law enforcement
departments in Tibet are the strong pillars and loyal guards in
defending the frontier of the motherland and maintaining stability
in Tibet. They are an important force in the building of both
material and spiritual civilizations. They should carry forward
the fine traditions and work style, improve and stiffen themselves,
strengthen unity between the government and the army, between
civilians and the armed forces, and between the police and the
people, and make new contributions to the stability and
development of Tibet.
Comrades and Friends,
Tibet is a beautiful and richly endowed region of our great
motherland. The industrious and talented people of all ethnic
groups in Tibet have, in a long historical development, made
outstanding contributions to the creation of a glorious culture of
the Chinese nation and creation of a unified multi-ethnic country.
In the last half a century in particular, the Tibetan people have
written brilliant chapters in the development and progress of
Tibet and added new glory to the big family of our socialist
motherland. We feel profoundly proud of the past and immensely
confident about the future. Let us rally around the leadership of
the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Jiang Zemin at the core,
hold high the great banner of Deng Xiaoping Theory, take the
important thinking of the "Three Represent's" as the guide, work
together unremittingly with one heart for a new socialist Tibet of
unity, prosperity and civilization, and for the great rejuvenation
of the Chinese nation! Enditem
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