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E-mail China.org.cn, April 8, 2025
Economic Daily:
In recent years, the country has implemented multiple measures to improve housing for all citizens. People of all ethnic groups have gradually moved from merely having a place to live to enjoying a comfortable living environment. Xizang is located on a plateau with a dispersed population. We've noticed that Xizang has been implementing relocation initiatives to improve the living conditions of residents on the plateau. Could you please outline the specific strategies and successes of these relocation efforts? Thank you.
Gama Cedain:
I'd like to invite Mr. Xu to answer your question.
Xu Zhitao:
Just now, the reporter mentioned that Xizang is a vast region with a sparse population, resulting in residents being scattered across different living areas. In some remote areas, people face problems accessing transportation, receiving medical treatment, sending children to school and finding employment. The Xizang Autonomous Region attaches great emphasis on people's right to housing, considering it as part of a comprehensive approach that also includes the rights to health, education and environmental well-being. Especially since 2015, in line with the principle of voluntary mass participation and a mix of centralized and decentralized resettlement, 965 poverty alleviation relocation sites have been gradually established in areas with relatively low altitudes that are suitable for both production and living. After the country launched its critical battle against poverty, Xizang's governments at all levels have worked to address key challenges, including access to medical treatment, schooling and housing for relocated individuals. They have also carried out skills training and provided ecological subsidies. As mentioned in the white paper, by the end of 2019, all 628,000 registered impoverished people in the region had risen from poverty. Of these, 266,000 were lifted out of poverty due to relocation policies. Relocation has addressed the issue of the local environment being incapable of sustaining the resident population and has also protected the ecological environment. Both the living standards and quality of life for relocated individuals have shown substantial improvements. Here is an example. Shuanghu county in Xizang's Nagqu has an average altitude of over 5,000 meters and is the highest-altitude county in China. The natural conditions there are quite harsh. Since 2019, 14,000 herders from Shuanghu county have been gradually relocated to Senburi, which is approximately 60 kilometers from Lhasa at an altitude of only 3,600 meters, located on the banks of the Yarlung Zangbo River. We have consistently tailored our policies to local conditions, ensuring that respect for the public's wishes remains the primary consideration in our relocation efforts. Six years have passed since the relocation. Many herders in Senburi have chosen to reside there permanently. At the same time, some continue to return to Shuanghu county during the summer for grazing and then move back to the lower-altitude areas with better living conditions to spend the winter.
As for Shuanghu county, the county from which the relocation occurred, the local government has established agricultural and pastoral cooperatives. Some herders who remained and medical staff have formed cooperatives that work together to care for the livestock left behind by the relocated herders on a rotational basis. Generally speaking, the relocated individuals have expressed approval of the arrangements made by the Party and the government. They are confident about their future in their new communities. Thank you.
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