May 25, 2023 -- The 2023 Xizang Development Forum has wrapped up in Beijing. CGTN reporter Zhang Siran talked to international participants about the forum, and their impressions of their trip to Xizang leading up to the conference.

 

At the opening ceremony of 2023 Xizang Development Forum, Chinese President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory letter to applaud Xizang's high-quality development.

 

ROLAND BOER Overseas Talent Professor, School of Philosophy, Renmin University of China "President Xi Jinping has written a letter to open the forum today, indicates the significance of the forum and how important it is. I myself feel a little bit overwhelmed by the high level importance of it, but also very, very honored to be part of it. This is of not just significance in China. This is a world significance, global significance. Because China has stepped onto the center of the world stage. So every move made internationally, but also made in China has world importance and world attention. This forum is another example of that situation."

 

For some participants who have paid previous visits to Xizang, another trip ahead of the forum offered unprecedented perspectives on its development.

 

ANKE REDL Managing Director, China Media Monitor Intelligence "The magnificent nature is still the same. This feeling of being on the 'roof of the world'. For sure, there's been a lot of development. Especially I think economic development, infrastructure. There's lots of bullet trains, there's roads, there's tunnels, etc. And the schools have been modernized. And I think it's really interesting to see what has happened. It's the like how to maintain this balance between keeping tradition and allowing for economic development. And I think this is like something that was very interesting to see."

 

MICHAEL CROOK Co-founder, Western Academy of Beijing "When I visited schools, because I'm a teacher, I'm always ready to talk to children. And I can't ask them anything in Tibetan, because I don't speak Tibetan, but I do ask them questions in Mandarin and I do talk to them in English and see how they respond. I was delighted that clearly, Tibetans are not only maintaining their own Tibetan language, but they are also learning Mandarin and even English."

 

ZHANG SIRAN Beijing "After visiting Xizang, participants at the forum acknowledged improvements in education, economic development, environmental protection and cultural inheritance. They wished Xizang well in its journey in the new era. Zhang Siran, CGTN, Beijing."