Beijing, September 25 – China on Thursday denied charges that it was dramatically altering Tibet’s demographic pattern by encouraging immigration of other ethnic Chinese groups into the Himalayan region.
“There has been no immigration of other ethnic groups into Tibet,” Chairman of the Tibetan Autonomous Regional Government, Qingba Puncong, was quoted as saying by Xinhua News Agency.
The official told a group of Russian journalists in Lhasa on Wednesday that the population growth in the region was mainly natural growth rather than immigration of any other ethnic groups.
“Tibet now has a total population of 2.62 million, and 92 per cent are ethnic Tibetans,” he said.
The birth rate in Tibet is 18 per thousand and the mortality rate six per thousand. This makes the growth rate around 12 per thousand, which means a natural growth of about 30,000 persons annually, he said.
Tibet’s rural areas are free from the implementation of the National Family Planning Policy. Instead the local government encourages local residents to “bear and rear better children”, Puncong added.
He said the migrant population in the region is increasing with economic development and the construction of a railway into the region.
But these people would not end up as permanent residents because of the harsh weather and geographical conditions, he stressed.
“The ratio of ethnic groups in Tibet will not change dramatically,” Puncong said.
