Southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region reported 69 billion yuan (8.6 billion U.S. dollars) of fixed assets investment between 2001 and 2005, three times as much as in the previous five-year period.

About 50.8 billion yuan (6.35 billion U.S. dollars) of the investment was appropriated from the central coffer to boost infrastructure construction in the region, said a report on the regional social and economic development during the 10th Five-Year Plan Period (2001-2005).

In the past five years, 42,700 kilometers of highways opened to traffic and track laying was completed on the world's most elevated railroad linking Tibet to neighboring Qinghai Province.

The region's installed power generating capacity was expanded to 500,000 kilowatts, an increase of 150,000 kilowatts from year 2000.

The past five years also witnessed the construction of more water conservancy and storage facilities that provide safe drinking water for 588,000 herders in Tibet.

Source: Xinhua