China elevates infrastructure push in Tibet, aiming to raise investments on world’s roof

From giant dams to sprawling railways, Beijing has pledged to step up investments along the so-called roof of the world, led by state-owned enterprises, as China marks the 60th anniversary of the Tibet autonomous region’s establishment.

The State-owned Assets Supervision and Administration Commission (Sasac), China’s top state asset regulator, is calling for more targeted measures to boost industries, with more capital flowing into grass-roots projects and a greater promotion of cultural and tourism sectors to benefit local communities, according to a statement released on Tuesday.

Located on China’s southwestern frontier and bordering four Asian countries, Tibet has distinct advantages in agriculture, animal husbandry and clean energy.

Wang Jiang, deputy dean of the Institute of China’s Borderland Studies at Zhejiang Normal University, said transport and environmental conditions remain barriers to developing the high-altitude region, despite substantial infrastructure advances having already been made there.