From our archives

March 10, 1984

Tibetan masters of their own society

Democratic reforms introduced in 1959 have helped the working people of Tibet to become masters of their own society. And the target of minority people managing their own affairs has been realized there since 1980.

A large number of officials from ethnic minorities have been trained and promoted to leading posts in the past 20 years.

At the end of 1983, Tibetan and other minority officials made up 59 percent of the region's officials.

Beijingers asked to redouble greening

Deputy director of the Beijing Greening Commission Wang Xian called on Beijing residents to redouble efforts in this year's forestation drive to make China's capital a more beautiful city.

Last year, an area of more than 200 hectares was afforested in the city by schools, factories, and PLA units. Trees were planted along trunk roads and main streets.

New set-up in rural economy

About 32,000 households, or 3.2 percent of Beijing's rural population, are now running "joint ventures" with local supply and marketing cooperatives to promote rural community production.

The ventures cover such fields as production, agrotechnology, purchasing and marketing.

The peasants provide land, labor and other means of production, while the co-operatives offer funds, market information, technical guidance, seeds and breeding stock, and are also responsible for product sales.

(China Daily 03/20/2009 page9)