Cui Luchun: Profoundly Understanding the Scientific Connotation and Practical Requirements of the Party's Strategy for Governing Tibet in the New Era
Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to work in Tibet. General Secretary Xi Jinping has personally steered the course and sketched the blueprint for Tibet's development, creatively proposing and establishing the Party's strategy for governing Tibet in the New Era, the core content of which is the "Ten Musts." This strategy has driven Chinese-path modernization to continuously create new miracles on the "Roof of the World." Practice has fully proven that the Party's strategy for governing Tibet in the New Era is a summary, refinement, and innovative development of the CPC’s successful experience in leading the people to govern, stabilize, and develop Tibet. It is the concentrated expression of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era as applied to work in Tibet, providing the fundamental follow-up for successful governance. It will surely provide powerful guidance for building a new, modern socialist Tibet that is united, prosperous, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful.
1. The Scientific Connotation of the Party's Strategy for Governing Tibet in the New Era
In August 2020, at the Seventh Central Symposium on Tibet Work, General Secretary Xi Jinping used the "Ten Musts" to provide a high-level summary of the Party's strategy for governing Tibet in the New Era. This profoundly answered a series of major directional, holistic, and strategic questions regarding Tibet work in the New Era, constructing the "four beams and eight pillars" [1] of this endeavor.
It is a must to uphold the leadership of the CPC, the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the system of regional ethnic autonomy. These constitute the fundamental political prerequisites and institutional safeguards for work in Tibet. CPC leadership is the most defining feature of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the fundamental guarantee for Tibet's development and progress. The system of socialism with Chinese characteristics provides the structural support for long-term stability and high-quality development in Tibet. The successful practice of regional ethnic autonomy in Tibet fully demonstrates the institutional advantages of the correct path to resolving ethnic issues with Chinese characteristics. These three elements support each other and form an organic unity, ensuring that work in Tibet always advances along the correct political direction.
It is a must to adhere to the strategic thinking that "to govern the country, we must first govern the borders; to govern the borders, we must first stabilize Tibet." This strategic thought scientifically elucidates the internal dialectical relationship between governing the country, governing the borders, and stabilizing Tibet. It profoundly reveals the special and important status of Tibet work within the overall work of the Party and the state. It summarizes historical experience, responds to practical needs, and achieves theoretical innovation, providing strategic guidance for Tibet work in the New Era.
It is a must to take the maintenance of national unity and the strengthening of ethnic solidarity as the focus and foothold of Tibet work. This important requirement clarifies the special importance of maintaining national unity and strengthening ethnic solidarity within the overall situation of the Party and state. This represents the highest interest and fundamental principle of work in Tibet; it is also the common will and fundamental well-being of the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet.
It is a must to adhere to the important principles of governing Tibet in accordance with the law, enriching the people and developing Tibet, building Tibet over the long term, pooling popular support, and consolidating the foundation. Governing Tibet in accordance with the law is the basic method; enriching the people and developing Tibet is the fundamental goal; building Tibet over the long term provides the strategic determination; pooling popular support is the value orientation; and consolidating the foundation is the key support. These five principles are an interconnected organic whole, providing a scientific methodology for Tibet work in the New Era.
It is a must to coordinate the domestic and international situations. This requirement ensures that work in Tibet is considered and planned within the overall strategic framework of the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation and the world’s "profound changes unseen in a century." [2] Based on domestic realities while keeping an eye on the international stage, we must properly respond to external risks and challenges, maintain a firm grasp of the initiative in Tibet-related work, and resolutely safeguard the core interests of the state and the fundamental interests of the people of all ethnic groups in Tibet.
It is a must to take the improvement of people's livelihoods and the pooling of popular support as the starting point and ultimate goal of economic and social development. This requirement reveals the internal unified relationship between economic development and social cohesion in border ethnic regions. It demonstrates our Party's scientific grasp of the dialectical relationship between history and the people, development and stability, and livelihoods and popular support.
It is a must to promote interaction, exchange, and integration among all ethnic groups. Interaction, exchange, and integration (jiāowǎng jiāoliú jiāoróng) constitute the only path toward enhancing ethnic solidarity, forging a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation, and promoting the construction of the Chinese national community. Only by increasing understanding through interaction, eliminating prejudice through exchange, and achieving win-win results through integration can we promote long-term stability and high-quality development in Tibet and advance the Great Rejuvenation of the Chinese Nation.
It is a must to persist in the direction of the Sinicization of religions in China and manage religious affairs in accordance with the law. Persisting in the direction of Sinicization is the only way to actively guide Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to a socialist society. Managing religious affairs in accordance with the law is an inevitable requirement for comprehensively promoting the governance of Tibet according to the law. Based on the religious realities of Tibet, this requirement supports the religious community in making interpretations of doctrine and canons that meet the requirements of contemporary progress, suppresses negative religious factors, and continuously enhances the level of the rule of law in religious affairs management.
It is a must to prioritize ecological protection. This requirement positions the construction of an ecological civilization as a basic prerequisite and rigid constraint for Tibet's economic and social development. It firmly establishes the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets" (lǜshuǐ qīngshān jiùshì jīnshān yínshān). With an attitude of responsibility toward history, the people, and the world, we must protect every mountain, river, tree, and blade of grass on the plateau, building the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau into a high-ground for ecological civilization for both the nation and the world.
It is a must to strengthen Party building, particularly political building. This requirement answers the major question of "what guarantee do we rely on" for Tibet work in the New Era. Strengthening Party building, especially political building, helps ensure the unified will and action of the whole Party, converting the Party's political and organizational advantages into a powerful force for promoting long-term stability and high-quality development, providing a strong guarantee for the implementation of the Party's strategy for governing Tibet in the New Era.
2. The Practical Power of the Party's Strategy for Governing Tibet in the New Era
The Party’s strategy for governing Tibet in the New Era is a powerful ideological weapon for guiding practice and promoting work. Under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee, the selfless support of the people across the country, and the united struggle of the entire autonomous region, Tibet has entered its best period of development, greatest change, and most substantial benefits for the masses in history. The construction of a new, modern socialist Tibet shows vigorous vitality.
A political and social situation of unity and stability has emerged. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that "to govern, stabilize, and develop Tibet, the first priority is to maintain political stability, social stability, ethnic unity, and religious harmony." The Party Committee of the Autonomous Region has always regarded the maintenance of stability as the primary political task, deeply carrying out the anti-separatist struggle. The efficacy of social governance has continuously increased, and the sense of security and satisfaction among the masses of all ethnic groups has remained above 99% for many years. Adhering to the forge of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main thread, the region has fully implemented the Party’s ethnic and religious policies and deeply implemented projects to enhance the "Five Identifications" [3] and promote interaction, exchange, and integration among ethnic groups. The creation of ethnic unity and progress initiatives has covered all counties, townships, and villages. Great success has been achieved in the promotion and popularization of the standard spoken and written Chinese language. The region has actively promoted two-way economic, cultural, and personnel exchanges between Tibet and other provinces. Religious affairs are managed according to the law; education on "national consciousness, citizenship consciousness, and the rule of law consciousness" has been deeply conducted to guide Tibetan Buddhism to adapt to socialist society.
A path of high-quality development suited to Tibet's realities has been blazed. Development is the key to solving all problems in Tibet, and high-quality development is the "hard truth" (yìng dàolǐ) of the New Era. The Party Committee of the Autonomous Region has fully, accurately, and comprehensively implemented the new development philosophy, insisting that the general requirements of "the three endowments and one benefit" [4] run through the entirety of economic and social development. In 2025, the region's GDP reached 303.189 billion yuan, with per capita disposable income of urban and rural residents growing by 6.0% and 7.4% respectively; the growth rates of major economic indicators have ranked among the top in the country for several years. Nine major industries, including clean energy, cultural tourism, and green industry, are flourishing. Infrastructure construction has achieved a historic leap: the main power grid covers all counties (cities, districts), and the coverage rate of fiber optics and 4G networks in administrative villages has reached 100%. People’s well-being has significantly improved through the deep implementation of the "Ten Major Livelihood Projects," with the employment rate of current-year college graduates exceeding 95%. Tibet was the first in the country to implement 15 years of free education, and major education indicators have reached or exceeded the national average. Basic medical insurance for employees and urban/rural residents has achieved provincial-level pooling, and Grade 3A hospitals [5] now cover all seven prefectures (cities).
A solid ecological security barrier has been constructed. Tibet is an important national ecological security barrier; its greatest value lies in ecology, its greatest responsibility lies in ecology, and its greatest potential also lies in ecology. The Party Committee of the Autonomous Region has deeply implemented Xi Jinping Thought on Ecological Civilization, coordinating the promotion of carbon reduction, pollution control, green expansion, and growth, focusing on building a national high-ground for ecological civilization. It has promulgated and implemented laws and regulations such as the Regulations of the Tibet Autonomous Region on the Construction of a National Ecological Civilization High-Ground, and the area within the ecological protection red line accounts for more than 50% of the region’s total land area. The quality of the ecological environment has remained excellent; the proportion of days with good air quality has remained above 99%, and the proportion of water quality in major rivers and lakes reaching or exceeding Grade III standards is 100%. Scientific land greening actions have been carried out, and the greening projects for the North and South Mountains have been solidly promoted; more than 1.1 million mu [6] of afforestation have been completed, increasing the income of the masses by over 3.1 billion yuan. The forest coverage rate has increased to 12.54%, and the comprehensive vegetation coverage of grasslands has reached 50%. Adhering to the principle of "ecology benefiting the people," the region has implemented the national comprehensive ecological compensation mechanism, providing over 400,000 ecological jobs annually on average, achieving a virtuous interaction between ecological protection and enriching the people.
A new pattern of developing the borders and enriching the people has formed. Strengthening the borders and consolidating defense is a "matter of national significance" (guó zhī dà zhě), and developing the borders and enriching the people is what the people aspire to. The Party Committee of the Autonomous Region insists on both stationing troops and settling the people, and attaches equal importance to consolidating the borders and developing them. It has promulgated the Regulations of the Tibet Autonomous Region on the Creation of a Demonstration Zone for National Border Consolidation, Border Development, and People’s Enrichment. All 624 border "moderately prosperous" (xiǎokāng) villages have been completed; all border townships and administrative villages are connected by roads; the main power grid and 5G networks cover all border townships; and all border county seats have achieved normalized water supply. New border villages have achieved full coverage of preschool and compulsory education. Border industries have been actively developed, with border small-scale trade and mutual market trade between residents flourishing. In 2025, the total value of import and export of goods reached 8.479 billion yuan, and the subsidy standards for border residents have steadily increased. The "Five Joint Efforts and Five Solidifications" (wǔ gòng wǔ gù) [7] pairing of military and local grassroots Party organizations has been deeply promoted. The awareness of patriotism and border protection among residents of all ethnic groups has taken deep root; being a "guardian of the sacred territory and a builder of a happy home" has become the conscious pursuit of the masses.
3. Practical Requirements for Comprehensively Implementing the Party's Strategy for Governing Tibet in the New Era
On August 20, 2025, while hearing the work reports of the Party Committee and Government of the Tibet Autonomous Region, General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized: "Tibet must comprehensively implement the Party's strategy for governing Tibet in the New Era, adhere to the general principle of seeking progress while maintaining stability, fully, accurately, and comprehensively implement the new development philosophy, solidly promote high-quality development, and continue to deeply focus on the four major tasks of stability, development, ecology, and border consolidation, striving to build a united, prosperous, culturally advanced, harmonious, and beautiful socialist modern Tibet." This important instruction provides the fundamental follow-up for promoting long-term stability and high-quality development in Tibet on the new journey.
Uphold the comprehensive leadership of the Party and continuously consolidate the Party's foundation for governance in Tibet. Party leadership is the "stabilizing needle" (dìnghǎi shénzhēn) [8] for doing Tibet work well, and strengthening Party building is the fundamental guarantee. On the new journey, we must unswervingly use Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era to solidify the soul and pool the heart. We must educate and guide the vast number of Party members and cadres to deeply understand the decisive significance of the "Two Establishments," and strengthen the "Four Consciousnesses," firm up the "Four Confidences," and achieve the "Two Upholds." The leadership of the Party must be implemented across all aspects and the entire process of governing, stabilizing, and developing Tibet. We must adhere to and improve the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the system of regional ethnic autonomy, ensuring the implementation of Party leadership through institutional means. We must continuously strengthen the Party’s political building, tighten political discipline and rules, and deeply implement the general requirements for Party building and the Party’s organizational line in the New Era. We must make Party organizations at all levels stronger and more powerful, ensuring that the power of leadership is held firmly in the Party's hands.
Take the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation as the main thread and focus on creating a national model area for ethnic unity and progress. Ethnic unity is the lifeline of people of all ethnic groups, and maintaining stability is the "ballast stone" (yāchàngshí) of Tibet work. On the new journey, the forging of a strong sense of community for the Chinese nation must run through all aspects and the entire process of Tibet work. We must strengthen publicity and education on the history of the Party, the history of New China, the history of reform and opening up, the history of socialist development, and the history of the development of the Chinese nation. We must tell the stories of Tibet in the New Era well, guiding cadres and the masses of all ethnic groups to continuously enhance their identification with the great motherland, the Chinese nation, Chinese culture, the CPC, and socialism with Chinese characteristics. We must promote extensive interaction, comprehensive exchange, and deep integration among all ethnic groups; comprehensively popularize the standard spoken and written Chinese language; build an embedded social structure and community environment; and create social conditions for all ethnic groups to live, study, build, share, work, and enjoy themselves together. We must deeply create a national model area for ethnic unity and progress, guiding people of all ethnic groups to hold together as tightly as pomegranate seeds, jointly constructing a shared spiritual home for the Chinese nation.
Guided by the "Three Endowments and One Benefit" [9], we must strive to create a pioneering zone for high-quality development in the plateau economy. The "Three Endowments and One Benefit" constitute the fundamental follow-through for high-quality development in Tibet; they are also the general requirements that must be integrated throughout the promotion of Tibet’s economic and social development. On the New Journey, we must completely, accurately, and comprehensively implement the New Development Philosophy [10], taking the improvement of people's livelihoods and the rallying of public support as the starting point and the ultimate goal of economic and social development, ensuring that the fruits of reform and development benefit all ethnic groups more equitably and extensively. Based on resource endowments, we must develop characteristic advantageous industries such as clean energy, cultural tourism, and plateau agriculture and animal husbandry according to local conditions, while actively cultivating new quality productive forces to transform resource advantages into economic and industrial advantages. We must coordinate the construction of major projects with the cultivation of characteristic industries, continuously optimize the industrial structure, promote a comprehensive green transition of economic and social development, and constantly open up new prospects for high-quality development of the plateau economy.
We must fortify the national ecological security barrier and concentrate efforts on building a national ecological civilization highland. We must take the construction of ecological civilization as the basic prerequisite and rigid constraint for Tibet's economic and social development, firmly establishing the concept that "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets," [11] and strictly implementing the Ecological Protection Law of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We must coordinately advance carbon reduction, pollution reduction, green expansion, and economic growth; solidly advance land greening operations; and vigorously develop the clean energy industry to consolidate the foundation of green development. Persisting in the principle that ecology is for the people’s benefit, welfare, and service, we must implement the national comprehensive ecological compensation mechanism to achieve a virtuous interaction between ecological protection and increasing the income of the masses, ensuring that all ethnic groups gain a happy life while guarding the lucid waters and lush mountains.
We must persist in the simultaneous advancement of stationing troops and settling the people, solidly creating a national demonstration zone for the Action to Strengthen the Border, Prosper the Border, and Enrich the People. Border areas are the first line of defense for the national security barrier and the front line for defending national sovereignty and territorial integrity. On the New Journey, we should accelerate infrastructure construction in border areas, improve the public service system, and optimize policies for border trade and industrial development, so that the income levels of border residents steadily rise and their quality of life continues to improve. We must improve the subsidy mechanism for border residents and deepen the "Five Shares and Five Solidifications" [12] pairing-and-building program between military and local grassroots Party organizations, strengthening the pattern of synergy among the Party, government, military, police, and civilians to strengthen and solidify the border. We must profoundly carry out education in patriotism and border defense, guiding the masses of all ethnic groups to enhance their national consciousness and national defense awareness, making border areas an important window for demonstrating the superiority of the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.