[Xinhua is PRC's official news agency]

Source: Xinhua news agency, Beijing, in English 1048 gmt 17 Apr 97

Lhasa, 17th April: Lobsang Gyaincain, Mayor of Lhasa, the capital of China's Tibet Autonomous Region, met with US Ambassador to China James Sasser here Wednesday [16th April], elaborating on the great changes that have taken place in Lhasa since the liberation of the region in 1951.

Lobsang told Sasser that Lhasa houses some 400,000 residents, 87 per cent of which are of Tibetan nationality, and the others are Han or any of several other ethnic groups.

At present, the urban construction coverage of the city has reached 51 sq.km., 17 times the size of 1959, he said, and the Potala Palace, added to the World Heritage List by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, is located in the city proper.

With more than 500 schools, colleges and universities, the city has over 70,000 students, and 92.1 per cent of the school-age children are receiving education, according to the Mayor.

On Lhasa's transportation and telecommunications, Lobsang Gyaincain said that the conditions in the sectors have witnessed considerable progress, with both domestic and international direct air flights connecting the city with Beijing, Chengdu, Kathmandu and other big cities, and direct calls and facsimiles able to be sent anywhere in the world.

The mayor vowed to further consolidate the city's economic base of agriculture and husbandry, and to reinforce transportation, energy and infrastructure construction, with the goal of creating a better living environment for its residents.

Lobsang noted that since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, Lhasa has undergone tremendous change, and at present the city enjoys political stability, economic progress, unity among nationalities, and its residents can live comfortably.

Residents here support the reform and opening up policy and will build Lhasa into an advanced city with complete urban facilities and a sound investment environment in a bid to lead the whole region towards economic prosperity, he said.