China's southwestern Tibet Autonomous Region has recently opened its most authoritative website on science and technology, a milestone in its rapidly developing information industry.

Officials with the Tibet Science and Technology Department consider the website helpful not only for research on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, but also to decision makers of the local government.     

Wang Yingjie, a researcher with the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the opening of the website will continue to push forward the region's information industry.

The economic gap between China's western and eastern areas have also caused an imbalance development in technology and information.

To shorten the disparity, the Ministry of Science and Technology has initiated a specific plan since last April to help the vast western region build information-sharing networks, establish on-line education and learn computer-operated farming and digital manufacturing.

The establishment of the website in Tibet is also a part of the plan.

(Xinhua News Agency July 26, 2004)