By Ershad Shikdar

The picture shows the beautiful view of Yamdrok Lake in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region. (PHOTO: Ershad Shikdar)

I recently returned to Beijing after wrapping up my week-long tour to Xizang, an autonomous region of China. I visited many religious, historic, and cultural places and basked in the stunning natural beauty of the region, known as the "Roof of the World." During the visit, I came across people from all walks of life in southwestern China.

The visit has helped me to realize why it is impossible to say anything about Xizang without mentioning the Communist Party of China (CPC). I have seen for myself how the CPC has brought prosperity to Xizang, which has always been an integral part of China throughout history.

In bringing prosperity to the region, the CPC has won the hearts of the local people. I was impressed to see that in just six decades, the CPC has brought sweeping changes in the fields of economy, society, and people's livelihood in the region.

Thanks to the all-out efforts made by the CPC, Xizang's GDP has grown 300-fold, the rural per capita disposable income has increased 400-fold, and its average life expectancy has doubled to 72 years from only 35 years.

Throughout my travels there I saw firsthand how the people have realized the goal of a happy and moderately prosperous life. And this has happened in just four decades of reform and opening up. As a result, Xizang was uprooted from abject poverty in 2019, while China lifted all of its citizens out of poverty one year later in 2020.

Colleagues in my traveling group from different countries shared my views on the vast development of Xizang. I have cited the views of two scholars as typical of those of our foreign visiting group.

Muhammad Asghar, a special correspondent of the Associated Press of Pakistan, first visited Xizang in 2018. Comparing Xizang now and five years ago, he said the size of urban Lhasa has now been expanded, and the socioeconomic development and people's livelihood are on a new level today.

He thinks Xizang has built better infrastructure in transport, health, and education. The comprehensive development of the region proves that no ethnic group will be left behind as China embarks on a new journey to build itself into a modern socialist country in all respects.

During the trip, Vikash Kumar Singh, an Indian teacher at Beijing Foreign Studies University, closely observed the life of the Xizang people. The visit has helped him understand that the CPC has long been improving the infrastructure, education, and healthcare system, and the people enjoy autonomy and religious freedom in the region.

He observed that Western media has always been biased about Xizang people's freedom of religious beliefs and customs. However, statistics show that millions of Xizang people go to the local temples during their religious and traditional festivals. And the CPC has long been paying particular attention to respecting and protecting religious beliefs and customs in Xizang.

Everyone I interacted with during my visit believes that the CPC has brought prosperity to Xizang, which was a feudal serf society before 1951. The democratic reform undertaken by the CPC abolished serfdom and enabled one million serfs to master their own life.

The CPC liberated the serfs of Xizang on March 28, 1951. However, the party has never forgotten its core goal of serving the people of Xizang. The party carried out widespread democratic reform and led Xizang to where the region is today. In the process, the CPC has built Xizang to match up to the expectations of the people.

Finally, I believe the CPC has quickly and effectively improved the fate of Xizang and its people. The party first led Xizang and its people from slavery to liberty and now to prosperity. And I firmly believe that Xizang will continue its journey toward peace and prosperity under the pragmatic and humanistic leadership of the CPC.

Ershad Shikdar is a Bangladeshi journalist working in China.