‘Build a prosperous frontier’: Xi urges unity and development in message to Tibetans near India-China border

Chinese President Xi Jinping has urged Tibetan villagers residing near the Indian border to play a role in promoting prosperity and stability in the region.

”Learning that the village has undergone new changes in recent years and villagers’ incomes have increased, I feel happy for you,” Xi replied to a letter received from residents of Nyingchi, a prefecture-level area located close to the Arunachal Pradesh border.

China considers Arunachal Pradesh part of South Tibet, a claim firmly rejected by India.

Xi became the first Chinese president to visit Tibet’s border areas during a 2021 trip to Nyingchi.

In his letter, Xi expressed hope that local residents would continue to follow Communist Party policies aimed at developing border regions and improving livelihoods. He also encouraged efforts to preserve the area’s natural environment, build a strong tourism brand, and contribute to a stable and prosperous border region.

In recent years, China has built a number of villages along the Tibetan border areas to ensure border security and development.

In his letter, Xi also urged the people in the Tibet Autonomous Region to uphold ethnic solidarity and create a happier and better life, the state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

During his 2021 visit to Nyingchi, Xi visited the Nyang River Bridge to inspect the ecological preservation in the basin of the Brahmaputra River, which is called Yarlung Zangbo in the Tibetan language.

Last year, China approved the construction of the world’s largest dam, stated to be the planet’s biggest infrastructure project, costing USD 137 billion, on the Brahmaputra river in Tibet, which has raised concerns in the riparian states of India and Bangladesh.