■ 吳楚

中央政府西藏工作方略的豐富和發(fā)展
—— 中央第五次西藏工作座談會(huì)精神管窺

■ 吳楚

西藏是祖國(guó)西南邊陲具有重要戰(zhàn)略地位的省級(jí)民族區(qū)域自治地方。中央政府對(duì)西藏工作始終高度重視， 1980年以來(lái)已先后召開(kāi)過(guò)四次西藏工作座談會(huì)，每一次會(huì)議都針對(duì)當(dāng)時(shí)西藏工作面臨的形勢(shì)和突出問(wèn)題進(jìn)行研究，明確重大政策，做出戰(zhàn)略部署。2010年1月，中央政府又召開(kāi)了第五次西藏工作座談會(huì)(以下簡(jiǎn)稱五次會(huì))，進(jìn)一步明確了當(dāng)前和今后一個(gè)時(shí)期做好西藏工作的指導(dǎo)思想、主要任務(wù)、工作要求，在經(jīng)濟(jì)建設(shè)、政治建設(shè)、文化建設(shè)、社會(huì)建設(shè)、生態(tài)文明建設(shè)和黨的建設(shè)等方面提出了一系列重要舉措，豐富和發(fā)展了西藏工作的基本方略，筆者根據(jù)自己對(duì)五次會(huì)精神的理解和感受，試舉幾例。

1.創(chuàng)造性地提出了西藏社會(huì)的主要矛盾和特殊矛盾的理論。五次會(huì)提出，當(dāng)前西藏社會(huì)的主要矛盾同全國(guó)一樣，依然是人民群眾日益增長(zhǎng)的物質(zhì)文化需要同落后的社會(huì)生產(chǎn)之間的矛盾；同時(shí)，西藏還存在著各族人民同以達(dá)賴集團(tuán)為代表的分裂勢(shì)力之間的特殊矛盾。這一重要闡述，對(duì)于堅(jiān)持和完善新時(shí)期西藏工作指導(dǎo)方針，對(duì)于在西藏這樣一個(gè)特殊的邊疆民族地區(qū)如何正確處理發(fā)展與穩(wěn)定的關(guān)系提供了科學(xué)的理論依據(jù)。由于西藏存在人民日益增長(zhǎng)的物質(zhì)文化需要同落后的社會(huì)生產(chǎn)之間的主要矛盾，所以在西藏工作中，必須始終堅(jiān)持“一個(gè)中心”，即以經(jīng)濟(jì)建設(shè)為中心，西藏工作的形勢(shì)越是尖銳復(fù)雜，越要牢固樹(shù)立這個(gè)思想，堅(jiān)持這個(gè)中心，決不能動(dòng)搖，決不能輕易改變；同時(shí)由于西藏還存在反分裂斗爭(zhēng)的特殊矛盾，所以在西藏工作中必須抓好“發(fā)展、穩(wěn)定”兩件大事，必須把維護(hù)穩(wěn)定作為硬任務(wù)和第一責(zé)任，深入持久開(kāi)展反分裂斗爭(zhēng)。沒(méi)有穩(wěn)定的環(huán)境，西藏的一切發(fā)展都無(wú)從談起。西藏社會(huì)存在的主要矛盾和特殊矛盾也決定了西藏工作的主題必須是推進(jìn)跨越式發(fā)展和長(zhǎng)治久安。

2.明確了西藏在科學(xué)發(fā)展軌道上實(shí)現(xiàn)跨越式發(fā)展的基本要求。五次會(huì)提出，沒(méi)有跨越式發(fā)展，西藏就不可能跟上全國(guó)發(fā)展步伐；沒(méi)有科學(xué)發(fā)展，西藏跨越式發(fā)展就難以持久，必須把中央關(guān)于加快西藏發(fā)展的決策部署同西藏實(shí)際緊密結(jié)合起來(lái)，轉(zhuǎn)變發(fā)展觀念、創(chuàng)新發(fā)展模式、提高發(fā)展質(zhì)量。為此，會(huì)議提出了“七個(gè)更加注重”，即，更加注重改善農(nóng)牧民生產(chǎn)生活條件，更加注重經(jīng)濟(jì)社會(huì)協(xié)調(diào)發(fā)展，更加注重增強(qiáng)自我發(fā)展能力，更加注重提高基本公共服務(wù)能力和均等化水平，更加注重保護(hù)高原生態(tài)環(huán)境，更加注重?cái)U(kuò)大同內(nèi)地的交流合作，更加注重建立促進(jìn)經(jīng)濟(jì)社會(huì)發(fā)展的體制機(jī)制。此外，會(huì)議還第一次明確提出西藏今后發(fā)展的戰(zhàn)略定位，即，要實(shí)現(xiàn)經(jīng)濟(jì)增長(zhǎng)、生活寬裕、生態(tài)良好、社會(huì)穩(wěn)定、文明進(jìn)步的統(tǒng)一，使西藏成為重要的國(guó)家安全屏障、重要的生態(tài)安全屏障、重要的戰(zhàn)略資源儲(chǔ)備基地、重要的高原特色農(nóng)產(chǎn)品基地、重要的中華民族特色文化保護(hù)地、重要的世界旅游目的地。

3.確定了下一步西藏經(jīng)濟(jì)社會(huì)發(fā)展的主要目標(biāo)。五次會(huì)提出，到2015年，保持經(jīng)濟(jì)跨越式發(fā)展勢(shì)頭，農(nóng)牧民人均純收入與全國(guó)平均水平的差距顯著縮小，基本公共服務(wù)能力顯著提高，生態(tài)環(huán)境進(jìn)一步改善，基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施建設(shè)取得重大進(jìn)展，各民族團(tuán)結(jié)和諧，社會(huì)持續(xù)穩(wěn)定，全面建設(shè)小康社會(huì)的基礎(chǔ)更加扎實(shí)；到2020年，農(nóng)牧民人均純收入接近全國(guó)平均水平，人民生活水平全面提升，基本公共服務(wù)能力接近全國(guó)平均水平，基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施條件全面改善，生態(tài)安全屏障建設(shè)取得明顯成效，自我發(fā)展能力明顯增強(qiáng)，社會(huì)更加和諧穩(wěn)定，確保實(shí)現(xiàn)全面建設(shè)小康社會(huì)的奮斗目標(biāo)。

在西藏，發(fā)展目標(biāo)的確定非常重要，不僅涉及西藏發(fā)展戰(zhàn)略、發(fā)展方向、發(fā)展重點(diǎn)的選擇，也直接涉及中央和全國(guó)各省市對(duì)西藏政策、項(xiàng)目和資金支持力度的大小。目前確定的這個(gè)提法，一是分為兩個(gè)階段，既有近期打算，又要長(zhǎng)遠(yuǎn)目標(biāo)；二是強(qiáng)調(diào)了一個(gè)綜合性的目標(biāo)體系，包括經(jīng)濟(jì)、民生、穩(wěn)定、生態(tài)等多個(gè)方面，而不僅僅是經(jīng)濟(jì)指標(biāo)；三是在這個(gè)綜合性的目標(biāo)體系中，并沒(méi)有像內(nèi)地的省市那樣重點(diǎn)強(qiáng)調(diào)經(jīng)濟(jì)指標(biāo)和增長(zhǎng)速度，而是強(qiáng)調(diào)了農(nóng)牧民人均純收入和基本公共服務(wù)兩個(gè)指標(biāo)。這些都體現(xiàn)了中央政府對(duì)西藏工作特點(diǎn)的把握和科學(xué)發(fā)展觀的要求。

4.突出強(qiáng)調(diào)把保障和改善民生作為西藏經(jīng)濟(jì)社會(huì)發(fā)展的出發(fā)點(diǎn)和落腳點(diǎn)。西藏地廣人稀，交通不便，經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展基礎(chǔ)薄弱，社會(huì)發(fā)育程度低，各項(xiàng)社會(huì)事業(yè)比較落后，相對(duì)內(nèi)地其他地方，西藏改善民生面臨的任務(wù)更加繁重，付出的成本和工作難度更高，同時(shí)意義也更為重大。五次會(huì)提出，要繼續(xù)實(shí)施“富民興藏”戰(zhàn)略，提高各族群眾生活水平和質(zhì)量，把更多關(guān)懷和溫暖送給廣大農(nóng)牧民和困難群眾，著重解決他們迫切需要解決的問(wèn)題，特別是農(nóng)牧區(qū)條件艱苦、農(nóng)牧民增收困難等問(wèn)題；繼續(xù)推進(jìn)以安居工程為突破口的社會(huì)主義新農(nóng)村建設(shè)，加快農(nóng)村水電路氣房和通信等設(shè)施建設(shè)；完善和落實(shí)各項(xiàng)增收政策，千方百計(jì)增加各族群眾特別是農(nóng)牧民收入；大力改善農(nóng)牧民生產(chǎn)生活條件，解決好零就業(yè)家庭和困難群眾就業(yè)問(wèn)題，建設(shè)覆蓋城鄉(xiāng)居民的社會(huì)保障體系，2012年以前基本實(shí)現(xiàn)新型農(nóng)村社會(huì)養(yǎng)老保險(xiǎn)制度全覆蓋；優(yōu)先發(fā)展教育，義務(wù)教育和高中階段農(nóng)牧民子女全部實(shí)行“三包”政策；進(jìn)一步完善以免費(fèi)醫(yī)療為基礎(chǔ)的農(nóng)牧區(qū)醫(yī)療制度，逐步提高國(guó)家補(bǔ)助標(biāo)準(zhǔn)和保障水平；加大中央投資力度，繼續(xù)擴(kuò)大專項(xiàng)投資規(guī)模，中央投資要向民生領(lǐng)域傾斜，向社會(huì)事業(yè)傾斜，向農(nóng)牧業(yè)傾斜，向基礎(chǔ)設(shè)施傾斜。今年7月，國(guó)務(wù)院審批通過(guò)了《“十二五”支持西藏經(jīng)濟(jì)社會(huì)發(fā)展建設(shè)項(xiàng)目規(guī)劃方案》，圍繞五大重點(diǎn)領(lǐng)域安排了226個(gè)建設(shè)項(xiàng)目，總投資3305億元，“十二五”期間投資1931億元，其中保障和改善民生成為規(guī)劃方案中居于首位的重點(diǎn)領(lǐng)域。

5.突出強(qiáng)調(diào)生態(tài)文明建設(shè)的重要戰(zhàn)略地位。西藏地處青藏高原腹地，是世界山地冰川最發(fā)育的地區(qū)，是長(zhǎng)江、黃河、瀾滄江等主要河流和亞洲重要江河源區(qū)，是維系我國(guó)和東亞氣候系統(tǒng)穩(wěn)定的重要屏障，生態(tài)地位極其重要。同時(shí)，青藏高原生態(tài)又極其脆弱，一旦遭到破壞，影響極大且很難恢復(fù)。五次會(huì)提出，一定要把保護(hù)西藏生態(tài)環(huán)境作為造福千秋萬(wàn)代的戰(zhàn)略工程擺在更加突出的位置，統(tǒng)籌生態(tài)環(huán)境保護(hù)和經(jīng)濟(jì)發(fā)展、社會(huì)進(jìn)步、民生改善，著重抓好生態(tài)保護(hù)、生態(tài)經(jīng)濟(jì)、生態(tài)移民、生態(tài)補(bǔ)償?shù)汝P(guān)鍵環(huán)節(jié)，促進(jìn)生態(tài)保護(hù)和經(jīng)濟(jì)建設(shè)協(xié)調(diào)發(fā)展、環(huán)境優(yōu)化和民生改善同步提升，實(shí)現(xiàn)生態(tài)系統(tǒng)良性循環(huán)。會(huì)議要求，要大力推進(jìn)生態(tài)文明建設(shè)，把建設(shè)資源節(jié)約型、環(huán)境友好型社會(huì)放在經(jīng)濟(jì)社會(huì)發(fā)展的突出位置，尤其不能走先破壞后治理的發(fā)展路子；要構(gòu)建高原生態(tài)安全屏障，加強(qiáng)主體功能區(qū)和土地綜合利用與整治規(guī)劃，按照保護(hù)優(yōu)先、綜合治理、因地制宜、突出重點(diǎn)的原則，堅(jiān)持工程治理同自然修復(fù)相結(jié)合，加快實(shí)施《西藏生態(tài)安全屏障保護(hù)與建設(shè)規(guī)劃》。

6.完善了對(duì)口支援的政策。對(duì)口支援在西藏已經(jīng)實(shí)行了16年，充分體現(xiàn)了中央對(duì)西藏的特殊關(guān)懷，體現(xiàn)了全國(guó)各族人民的大團(tuán)結(jié)，在西藏發(fā)展進(jìn)程中樹(shù)立了一個(gè)豐碑。五次會(huì)明確提出，對(duì)口支援西藏政策延長(zhǎng)到2020年；規(guī)定承擔(dān)對(duì)口支援任務(wù)的省(直轄市)、中央和國(guó)家機(jī)關(guān)及企事業(yè)單位，要建立援藏資金穩(wěn)定增長(zhǎng)機(jī)制；做好援藏干部選派工作，加大專業(yè)技術(shù)人員援藏力度等。今年7月在拉薩召開(kāi)了對(duì)口支援西藏工作座談會(huì)，習(xí)近平同志在講話中提出，要協(xié)調(diào)推進(jìn)經(jīng)濟(jì)支援、干部支援、人才支援、教育支援、科技支援、企業(yè)支援，形成全方位、多層次、寬領(lǐng)域的對(duì)口支援工作格局；要始終把保障和改善民生作為對(duì)口支援工作的首要任務(wù)，把資金和項(xiàng)目進(jìn)一步向農(nóng)牧區(qū)和農(nóng)牧民傾斜，扎實(shí)推進(jìn)教育、醫(yī)療、就業(yè)、社會(huì)保障等民生工程建設(shè)，促進(jìn)公共服務(wù)均等化；要始終堅(jiān)持國(guó)家支持與提高自我發(fā)展能力相結(jié)合，更加注重把受援地區(qū)的政策優(yōu)勢(shì)、資源優(yōu)勢(shì)、后發(fā)優(yōu)勢(shì)同對(duì)口支援地區(qū)的人才、資金、技術(shù)、市場(chǎng)優(yōu)勢(shì)和管理經(jīng)驗(yàn)結(jié)合起來(lái)，實(shí)現(xiàn)互利共贏、共同發(fā)展；要加強(qiáng)對(duì)口支援干部工作，充分尊重受援地區(qū)干部群眾意愿，問(wèn)需于民，問(wèn)計(jì)于民，自覺(jué)接受群眾監(jiān)督。

7.完善了民族、宗教政策。五次會(huì)提出，把有利于民族平等團(tuán)結(jié)進(jìn)步、有利于各民族共同繁榮發(fā)展、有利于民族交往交流交融、有利于國(guó)家統(tǒng)一和社會(huì)穩(wěn)定作為衡量民族工作成效的重要標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，推動(dòng)各民族和睦相處、和衷共濟(jì)、和諧發(fā)展，進(jìn)一步鞏固和發(fā)展平等團(tuán)結(jié)互助和諧的社會(huì)主義民族關(guān)系。這“四個(gè)有利于”的提法，是在深入研究民族問(wèn)題的發(fā)展規(guī)律，深刻總結(jié)近年來(lái)民族工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)教訓(xùn)的基礎(chǔ)上提出來(lái)的。根據(jù)這一重要標(biāo)準(zhǔn)，會(huì)議提出要廣泛開(kāi)展民族團(tuán)結(jié)宣傳教育和民族團(tuán)結(jié)進(jìn)步創(chuàng)建活動(dòng)，大力宣傳民族團(tuán)結(jié)先進(jìn)典型，引導(dǎo)各族干部群眾牢固樹(shù)立“三個(gè)離不開(kāi)”思想和“團(tuán)結(jié)穩(wěn)定是福、分裂動(dòng)亂是禍”觀念；正確認(rèn)識(shí)中華民族多元一體格局，自覺(jué)抵制各種狹隘民族意識(shí)，堅(jiān)決反對(duì)民族分裂意識(shí)，增強(qiáng)中華民族凝聚力；保障各民族合法權(quán)益，防止出現(xiàn)傷害民族感情、損害民族團(tuán)結(jié)的問(wèn)題等。

藏傳佛教在西藏有著悠久的歷史，對(duì)西藏的政治、經(jīng)濟(jì)、文化和人們的思想觀念、行為方式都有著廣泛而深刻的影響。藏傳佛教寺廟承擔(dān)著傳承藏傳佛教文化、滿足信教群眾正常的宗教需求的功能，既是宗教活動(dòng)場(chǎng)所，又是基層社會(huì)單位。五次會(huì)提出要全面貫徹落實(shí)黨的宗教工作基本方針和國(guó)家管理宗教事務(wù)的法律法規(guī)，切實(shí)維護(hù)藏傳佛教正常秩序，引導(dǎo)藏傳佛教與社會(huì)主義社會(huì)相適應(yīng)，并就建立藏傳佛教寺廟管理長(zhǎng)效機(jī)制，深入開(kāi)展寺廟法制宣傳教育，社會(huì)基本公共服務(wù)進(jìn)寺廟，妥善解決僧尼養(yǎng)老、醫(yī)療等社會(huì)保障問(wèn)題做出了明確安排部署。

8.完善了對(duì)境外藏胞的政策。五次會(huì)明確提出，“境外藏胞是海外華僑華人的一部分”，這是在總結(jié)多年工作經(jīng)驗(yàn)基礎(chǔ)上提出來(lái)的重要論斷。西藏是中國(guó)不可分割的一部分，境外藏胞理所當(dāng)然是海外華人華僑的一部分。改革開(kāi)放以來(lái)，中央政府對(duì)境外藏胞實(shí)行“愛(ài)國(guó)一家，愛(ài)國(guó)不分先后”的政策，每年都有大批境外藏胞回國(guó)探親、參觀，一些境外藏胞熱心家鄉(xiāng)公益慈善事業(yè)，為西藏的發(fā)展貢獻(xiàn)自己的力量，還有一些境外藏胞成立愛(ài)國(guó)組織，公開(kāi)反對(duì)達(dá)賴集團(tuán)分裂祖國(guó)和宗教專制的行徑。同時(shí)，境外藏胞與普通的華人華僑又有一定的不同，許多人思想上深受達(dá)賴的影響，經(jīng)濟(jì)上依賴達(dá)賴集團(tuán)，組織上受達(dá)賴集團(tuán)嚴(yán)密控制。團(tuán)結(jié)爭(zhēng)取境外藏胞是同達(dá)賴集團(tuán)斗爭(zhēng)的重要領(lǐng)域，要采取區(qū)別對(duì)待的原則，團(tuán)結(jié)爭(zhēng)取更多境外藏胞心向祖國(guó)，擺脫達(dá)賴集團(tuán)控制和影響，同時(shí)充分發(fā)揮廣大海外華僑華人和留學(xué)生在反“藏獨(dú)”中的重要作用。

五次會(huì)召開(kāi)已有一年多時(shí)間，筆者在工作中深深感受到，中央治藏方略和政策的這些新發(fā)展已經(jīng)在西藏工作的各個(gè)領(lǐng)域產(chǎn)生了實(shí)實(shí)在在的新變化。只要我們繼續(xù)保持發(fā)展穩(wěn)定的良好勢(shì)頭，只要我們對(duì)西藏工作的重要性、特殊復(fù)雜性始終保持清醒的認(rèn)識(shí)，只要我們各個(gè)方面把對(duì)西藏這片高原熱土的向往和熱愛(ài)不斷化做自覺(jué)的行動(dòng)，只要西藏各族人民和海內(nèi)外中華兒女同心同德、同心同向、同心同行，西藏的明天一定會(huì)更加美好。

Tibet is a provincial-level autonomous region that occupies an important strategic position along China’s southwest border. The central government has always attached great importance to its Tibet work, and this is the Fifth Forum on Tibet Work it has held since 1980. All these meetings have carried out deliberations concerning the situation and outstanding problems facing Tibet work at the time, clarified important policies and made strategic arrangements. The central government held the Fifth Forum on Tibet Work (hereafter simply called the Fifth Forum) in January 2010 to further clarify the guiding thought, main tasks and work requirements for now and the near future;to set forth a series of important measures for economic,political, cultural and social development, strengthening ecological awareness and Party building; and enriching and developing the basic plan for Tibet work. I will here discuss several points based on my understanding of the gist of the Fifth Forum.

1. Creatively articulating a theory of the main contradiction and unique problem in Tibetan society.The Fifth Forum stated that the main contradiction in Tibetan society is the same as in the country as a whole,the contradiction between the ever-increasing material and cultural demands of the masses and the backward social production. At the same time, Tibet has a unique problem pertaining to all of Tibet’s ethnic groups and the separatist forces represented by the Dalai Lama. This important exposition provided an important scientific and theoretical basis for adhering to and improving the guiding principles for Tibet work in the new period and for correctly handling the relationship between development and stability in this unique ethnic-minority frontier region.Because of the important contradiction between the everincreasing material and cultural demands of the people and the backward social production, in our Tibet work we must always keep economic development at the center of everything. The more acute and complex the circumstances in which we do our Tibet work become, the more necessary it is to firmly implant this thinking and adhere to this center. We must not waver or make changes lightly. At the same time, due to the unique problem surrounding the anti-separatist struggle in Tibet, we must handle the issues of development and stability well. We must make maintaining stability a mandatory task and our number one responsibility, and commit ourselves fully to a longterm anti-separatist struggle. It is impossible to even think of developing Tibet if it doesn’t have a stable environment.The main contradiction and unique problem in Tibetan society determine that the focus of our Tibet work must be to promote leapfrog development and prolonged political stability.

2. Clarifying the basic requirements for Tibet to achieve leapfrog development along the track of scienti fi c development. The Fifth Forum stated that without leapfrog development, the pace of development in Tibet cannot catch up to that in the country as a whole, and without scienti fi c development it will be very difficult to maintain leapfrog development. We must intimately integrate the central government’s policies and arrangements for accelerating Tibet’s development with actual conditions in Tibet, change our concept of development, make innovations in our development model, and raise the quality of development.To this end the Forum identified seven areas where we need to place greater emphasis: improving the living conditions of farmers and herders, coordinating economic and social development, increasing Tibet’s capacity for self-development, improving basic public services and provide them more equitably, protecting the plateau’s ecosystem, expanding contacts and cooperation with the rest of the country, and creating systems and mechanisms for stimulating economic and social development. In addition,the Forum for the first time clearly stated the strategic orientation for Tibet’s development from now on: to achieve economic growth, improvement in people’s lives, ecological preservation, social stability and cultural progress, and to make Tibet an important security screen for the country,an important ecological screen, a reserve base for strategic resources, a production base for highland agricultural products, a preserve for a unique Chinese ethnic culture, and a world tourist destination.

3. Setting the important objectives for the next stage of Tibet’s economic and social development. The objectives the Fifth Forum set for 2015 are: to maintain the pace of leapfrog economic development, significantly narrow the gap between the per capita net income of Tibetan farmers and herders and the national average, signi fi cantly increase Tibet’s capacity to provide public services, further improve the ecosystem, greatly develop Tibet’s infrastructure,achieve unity and harmony between ethnic groups,maintain social stability, and comprehensively firm up the foundation for a moderately prosperous society in all respects. The objectives it set for 2020 are: to raise the per capita net income of Tibetan farmers and herders close to the national average, comprehensively raise the living standards of the people, raise the level of basic public services close to the national average, comprehensively improve infrastructure conditions, achieve signi fi cant results in creating an ecological security screen, considerably increase Tibet’s capacity for self-development, make society more harmonious and stable, and ensure that a moderately prosperous society in all respects is established.

It is extremely important to set development objectives for Tibet. Doing so not only affects the choice of strategy,orientation and focus for Tibet’s development, but also has a direct bearing on the Tibet policies of the central government and the governments of all the country’s provinces and municipalities directly under the central government, and on the projects they undertake on its behalf and the extent of the support they give it. For the present,the formulation we have decided on is: fi rst, to separate our planning into two stages, short-term plans and long-term goals; second, to emphasize an overall system of objectives encompassing the economy, people’s lives, stability and the ecosystem, rather than just setting economic targets;and third, within this overall system of objectives to give particular emphasis to the targets concerning the net income of farmers and herders and basic public services, rather than emphasizing economic targets and growth rate as we do for the provinces and municipalities directly under the central government in the rest of the country. All this manifests the grasp the central government has of the unique features of its Tibet work and the requirements of the scienti fi c outlook on development.

4. Particularly emphasizing that maintaining and raising people’s living standards is the starting and end point of Tibet’s economic and social development. Tibet is a vast, sparsely populated region with inconvenient transport, weak economic development, a low level of social development and backward social institutions.Compared with the rest of China, Tibet faces a much more daunting task to improve people’s living conditions, and accomplishing it will be costly and dif fi cult, but also of great significance. It was decided at the Fifth Forum that: we need to continue to implement the strategy of enriching the people and invigorating Tibet; raise the living standards and improve the quality of life of all ethnic groups; show more solicitude and kindness to farmers and herders and those in dire straits, with the focus on solving their most pressing problems especially the problems of harsh conditions in agricultural and pastoral areas and the difficulty of raising the incomes of farmers and herders; improve and implement the policies for increasing Tibetans’ incomes;increase the incomes of members of all ethnic groups,especially farmers and herders, by all possible means; put great effort into improving the living conditions of farmers and herders; solve the problems of families in which there are no wage earners and people living in dire straits; create a social security system covering both urban and rural residents; basically implement universal coverage of the new rural social retirement insurance system before 2012;give priority to developing education; provide free tuition,room and board for the sons and daughters of farmers and herders from elementary school through high secondary school; further improve the medical system for agricultural and pastoral areas which takes free medical care as its basis;gradually raise the levels of subsidies and social security benefits; increase central government spending; continue to expand the scope of spending on special projects;and devote a greater portion of government spending to improving people’s lives, agriculture and animal husbandry,and infrastructure. In July of this year the State Council passed the Plan for Projects That Support Tibet’s Economic and Social Development to Be Included in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan, which lists 226 construction projects in fi ve major areas with a total cost of 330.5 billion yuan, with 193.1 billion of that amount to be spent in the Twelfth Five-Year Plan period. Maintaining and improving people’s living standards is the foremost of the fi ve major areas.

5. Particularly emphasizing the strategic importance of increasing people’s ecological awareness. The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau covers much of Tibet. It has more mountain glaciers than anywhere else in the world and is the source of Yangtze, Yellow and Lancang rivers as well as important rivers fl owing to South Asia. It is an important screen that maintains the stability of Chinese and East Asian climate system, so it is of great ecological importance. However,the ecology of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is fragile, and any damage to it will have an enormous impact and be very difficult to recover from. It was decided at the Fifth Forum that: we must give greater importance to strategic projects to preserve Tibet’s ecosystem for the benefit of future generations; integrate planning to preserve the ecosystem with planning for economic development, social progress and improvement of people’s lives; make sure we do a good job in the key links of ecological protection,ecological economy, ecological migration and ecological compensation; coordinate improvements in ecological protection with economic development, optimization of the environment and improvement in people’s lives; and achieve a virtuous cycle in the ecological system. The meeting set forth the requirements that great efforts should be made to increase ecological awareness, give a prominent position in economic and social development to building a resource-conserving and environment-friendly society,and particularly avoid taking the development path of fi rst damaging and then restoring the environment; create a plateau ecology security screen; strengthen overall use of land in and restoration planning for main functional areas;integrate rehabilitation projects with natural restoration on the basis of the principles of putting preservation first,carrying out rehabilitation comprehensively, adapting measures to the situation and focusing on crucial problems;and more quickly implement the Plan for Preserving and Improving the Tibet Ecological Security Screen.

6. Improving the one-to-one assistance policy. Oneto-one assistance has already been practiced in Tibet for 16 years. It fully embodies the special concern the central government has for Tibet and the great unity of all China’s ethnic groups, and it is a milestone in the course of Tibet’s development. The Fifth Forum clearly stated that the oneto-one assistance policy would be extended till 2020;specified the provinces (municipalities directly under the central government), central and state organs, and enterprises responsible to provide one-to-one assistance and required them to set up a stable, long-term mechanism to fund their assistance; did a good job in selecting cadres to do assistance work; and increased the number of technical personal involved in assistance work. A work Forum on one-to-one assistance to Tibet was held in Lhasa in July of this year. At the Forum Xi Jinping gave a speech in which he stated it is necessary to carry out assistance in the areas of the economy, cadres, personnel, education, science and technology, and enterprises in a coordinated fashion and to create a pattern of one-to-one assistance work that is comprehensive, multi-layered and broad ranging. We need to always keep maintaining and raising people’s living standards as the primary task of one-to-one assistance work;further direct funds and projects to agricultural and pastoral areas and to farmers and herdsmen; effectively carry out projects affecting people’s lives in the areas of education,medical care, employment and social security; and make the provision of public services more equitable. We always need to steadfastly integrate state support with raising Tibet’s capability for self-development; place greater emphasis on integrating the advantages aid recipients have in the areas of policy and resources and as a result of developing later with the strengths aid donors have in the areas of personnel,capital, technology, markets and management experience;and achieve a mutually beneficial win-win situation in which everyone develops together. We need to strengthen work concerning cadres involved in one-to-one assistance,fully respect the wishes of cadres and ordinary people in the areas receiving assistance, ask the people what they need,get them involved in planning, and willingly accept the oversight of the masses.

7. Improving ethnic and religious policies. The Fifth Forum stated that an important standard for judging the success of ethnic work should between whether it is beneficial for promoting equality, unity and progress of all ethnic groups; is beneficial for promoting common prosperity and development of all ethnic groups; is beneficial for increasing contacts, interactions and intermingling between ethnic groups; and is beneficial for national unity and social stability. This work should also encourage all ethnic groups to live together amicably, work together cooperatively and develop in harmony, and further consolidate and develop socialist ethnic relations of equality,unity, mutual assistance and harmony. The formulation of these “four bene fi cials” were put forth on the basis of deep study of the laws of development of ethnic conflicts and a thorough review of the lessons we learned in our ethnic work in recent years. On the basis of this important standard,the Forum stated that it is necessary to widely carry out publicity and education in ethnic unity and devise activities that further ethnic unity; energetically publicize people who most contribute to ethnic unity; guide the cadres and people of all ethnic groups to firmly uphold the doctrine of the“three inseparables” (the Han ethnic group is inseparable from all the ethnic minority groups; all the ethnic minority groups are inseparable from the Han ethnic group, and all the ethnic minority ethnic groups are inseparable from each other); and the idea that unity and stability are a blessing and division and unrest are a misfortune. We need to correctly understand that the Chinese nation is a multifaceted unity,consciously resist any narrow ethnic thinking, fi rmly oppose ethnic separatist thinking, and increase the cohesiveness of the Chinese nation. We also need to ensure the legitimate rights and interests of all ethnic groups, and prevent the occurrence of situations that hurt the feelings of ethnic groups and undermine ethnic unity.

Tibetan Buddhism has a long history in Tibet and it has had a broad and deep influence on Tibetans’ thinking and behavior concerning politics, economics, culture and human nature. Tibetan Buddhist monasteries perform the functions of transmitting Tibetan Buddhist culture and also of satisfying the normal religious demands of religious believers, and they are both venues of religious activities and primary-level social institutions. The Fifth Forum stated that it is necessary to fully implement the Party’s basic policies on religious work and state laws and regulations concerning managing religious affairs, effectively safeguard the normal order of Tibetan Buddhism, and guide Tibetan Buddhism and our socialist society to adapt to each other,and also to establish long-term mechanisms for managing Tibetan Buddhist temples, thoroughly carry out publicity and education concerning temples, bring basic public services to them, and make appropriate arrangements to solve social security issues concerning old-age and medical care for monks and nuns.

8. Improving policies concerning Tibetans living abroad. The Fifth Forum clearly stated that Tibetans living abroad are overseas Chinese or Chinese citizens. This is an important conclusion reached on the basis of a review of many years of work. Tibet is an inseparable part of China,so of course Tibetans living abroad are overseas Chinese or Chinese citizens. Since the adoption of reform and opening up, the central government has followed the policy of “All patriots belong to one big family whether they rally to the common cause early or late” in relation to Tibetans living abroad. Every year, a large number of Tibetans return home to visit family or sightsee. Some overseas Tibetans engage in public welfare philanthropic activities and contribute their efforts to Tibet’s development, and others establish patriotic organizations and openly oppose the Dalai Lama clique’s activities to split China and establish a theocracy.At the same time Tibetans living abroad are different from other Chinese living abroad in that many of them have been deeply in fl uenced by the Dalai Lama and rely on the Dalai Lama clique for economic support and are subject to strict controls it imposes. Uniting and winning over overseas Tibetans is an important area in the struggle against the Dalai Lama clique, and we need to follow the principle of dealing with different situations differently to unite and win over more Tibetans living abroad so they yearn for the motherland and throw off the control and in fl uence of the Dalai Lama clique. At the same time, we need to get the many overseas Chinese, Chinese citizens living abroad and Chinese students studying abroad to play their important role in opposing Tibet independence.

It has already been more than a year since the Fifth Forum. In my work I can deeply feel that these new developments in the central government’s general plan and policy for governing Tibet have already engendered genuine changes in our Tibet work. If we can continue to maintain the good situation of development and stability;if we always clearly recognize the importance and unique importance of out Tibet work; if people on all sides constantly convert their love for Tibet into conscious action;and if the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet unite with all sons and daughters of China both here and abroad with one heart and one mind and work together for the same goals,then Tibet will de fi nitely have a brighter future.

THE ENRICHMENT AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE CENTRAL GOVERNMENT’S GENERAL PLAN FOR TIBET WORK
A Glimpse at the Gist of the Central Government’s Fifth Forum on Tibet Work

■ Wu Chu