Zhuang Yan, executive deputy Party secretary of the Tibet autonomous region, speaks during a group interview on the sidelines of the ongoing 20th CPC National Congress, Oct 19, 2022. [Photo/Xinhua]

Tibet remains an area with one of the best ecological systems in the world, Zhuang Yan, executive deputy Party secretary of the Tibet autonomous region, said at a news conference of the 20th CPC National Congress in Beijing on Wednesday.

The region has listed half of its land area under the scope of an ecological protection red line, and bans approval for any enterprise or project that would generate high pollution and cause high energy and water consumption, and it will never sacrifice the environment for temporary economic growth, said Zhuang.

Tibet has been pursuing a green growth path by developing industries in sectors like clean energy, eco-tourism and cultures, and providing systematic protection to cover special environment features like mountains, rivers and forests, he added.

Statistics showed that the region has made significant strides in pollution prevention and control, with 99 percent of the days classified as "good" in terms of air quality in the region's seven cities, and the proportion of surface water with good quality reached 100 percent.

Tibet has continued its efforts in "expanding the green". Starting this year, Tibet has launched afforestation projects around the northern and southern mountains of the regional capital Lhasa, and planned to plant trees covering more than 133,000 hectares within ten years, said Zhuang, adding that residents of the plateau city will live in a garden-like environment.

He has extended a warm welcome for people to visit and witness the beautiful place.

Besides, Tibet has been attached with great importance to stability, growth, ecology and safeguarding the border.

For example, Tibet has been working hard to transform into a pilot zone for high-quality economic growth in the plateau region, and the growth has been attached with protecting the national unity and improving people's livelihood.

The growth rate of the annual per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents has ranked as the top in China for seven consecutive years, Zhuang said.