China's second Tibetan-dominated area plans to build its first airport in a bid to improve its link with other part of the country and overseas.

Rao Sidan, head of the Garze Tibetan Prefecture of Sichuan Province, southwest China, says the planned airport, or Kangding Airport, will be the second highest airport with an altitude of 4,200 meters.

Total expenditure for the airport is estimated at 800 million yuan (US$100 million). And the construction is expected to begin this year.

The hilly prefecture is 150,000 square kilometers but has a population of only 900,000, because it is difficult to reach the area by road.

(Xinhua News Agency October 9, 2004)