All-round and historic progress has been made in the human rights cause in China's Xizang Autonomous Region, according to a white paper released on Friday.

The document, titled "Human Rights in Xizang in the New Era," was released by the State Council Information Office at a press conference held in Lhasa, capital city of the region.

The Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese government have implemented effective measures to develop the economy, improve living standards and people's well-being, promote ethnic unity and progress, and protect the basic rights of all the people in the region, it said.

The year 2025 marks the 60th founding anniversary of Xizang Autonomous Region. Reflecting on the development of human rights in the region over the past six decades, especially since the 18th CPC National Congress in 2012, Gama Cedain, chairman of the regional government, said on Friday that the Party's leadership has provided a fundamental guarantee for lasting stability and high-quality development in the region.

An aerial drone photo taken on Dec. 8, 2024 shows the Qinghai-Xizang Expressway (R), Beijing-Xizang Expressway (C) and Qinghai-Xizang Railway in Damxung County of Lhasa, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. [Photo/Xinhua]

He noted at the press conference that people of all ethnic groups in Xizang have made historic achievements in their rights to subsistence and development.

The white paper expounded in details on remarkable human rights progress in Xizang in fields such as whole-process people's democracy, the protection of economic and social rights, cultural rights and environmental rights, effective safeguards for the freedom of religious belief, equal protection of the rights of specific groups, and steady improvement in the legal protection of human rights.

The document showed that by the end of 2019, all 628,000 registered impoverished people in the region had been lifted out of poverty, and in 2024, the per capita net income of those lifted out of poverty in Xizang increased by over 12.5 percent.

The region's road length had nearly doubled in 12 years and every town or township is covered by the 5G wireless network, with 2.14 million 5G mobile phone users, or 60.5 percent of the total in the region. The average life expectancy in Xizang rose from 68.17 years in 2010 to 72.19 years in 2020, according to the document.

Respecting and protecting human rights has been made an important part of the Party Central Committee's guidelines for the governance of the region, it said.

Villagers pick tea leaves in a valley in Cona of Shannan City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, July 28, 2023. [Photo/Xinhua]

The CPC has maintained a people-centered approach to human rights and a commitment to ensuring human rights through development, and has vigorously promoted whole-process people's democracy, it said.

The Party has strengthened legal protection of human rights, and coordinated efforts to increase people's civil and political rights as well as economic, social and cultural rights, to achieve well-rounded development and common prosperity for all people from all ethnic groups, according to the white paper.

Today, Xizang enjoys political stability, ethnic unity, economic development, social harmony, and amity among different religions, the document said.

Its environment is sound, and local people are content with their work and daily lives. This progress represents a remarkable achievement in protecting human rights on the snowy plateau, it said.

The white paper pointed out that over the years, lies about the "worsening human rights situation" in Xizang were spread outside China with ulterior political motives and the goal to destabilize Xizang and separate it from China.

The human rights progress in Xizang will not be undermined or wiped out by lies, nor will the advancements being made in the new era by the people of all ethnic groups in the region be halted by deceit, it said.

Full text: Human Rights in Xizang in the New Era