The Chinese government has
approved the construction of the first railway linking the Tibet
Autonomous Region with the rest of China.
The 1,118-kilometer railway will extend from Lhasa in Tibet to
Gormo in Qinghai province in northwest China. It will be the
longest and most elevated railway built on highlands in the world.
Feasibility studies and planning of the construction of the
railway are now underway. The construction of the railway will
start as soon as possible.
Chinese President Jiang Zemin said that the construction of the
railway is highly necessary.
Premier Zhu Rongji said that the time was ripe for building the
Qinghai-Tibet railway. He said that the railway will have great
significance for accelerating economic and social development in
Tibet, increasing economic and cultural exchanges between Tibet
and the rest of the country and reinforcing unity among various
ethnic groups.
More than 960 kilometers, or over four-fifths of the railway
will be built at an altitude of more than 4,000 meters. And more
than half of it will be laid on earth that has been frozen for a
long time.
China has been considering building the Qinghai-Tibet railway
for over five decades. The rapid economic growth and technological
advance over the past two decades have given the country enough
national strength to complete the project.

Date: February 8
Xinhuanet