Tibet urged to exercise opportunity for growth

President Xi Jinping said he hopes that the Tibet autonomous region will seize opportunities for development in a congratulatory letter sent to the 2019 Forum on the Development of Tibet held on Friday in Lhasa.

The region, located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is an important border area with ethnic minority populations, an important ecological security barrier, an important area for protecting the distinctive culture of China and an important world tourist destination, Xi said in the letter.

This year marks the 70th anniversary of the founding of the People's Republic of China and the 60th anniversary of the campaign of democratic reform in Tibet, he said.