Since 2025, China's Xizang Autonomous Region has capitalized on its unique geographical location, abundant resources, and favorable policy advantages to develop new quality productive forces in line with local conditions, thereby promoting high-quality development of the plateau economy. In the first quarter, the region's gross domestic product (GDP) reached 71.721 billion yuan (RMB), a year-on-year increase of 7.9%, delivering a remarkable performance.

Modernization of agriculture and animal husbandry injects new impetus and vitality

In Jiang Village, Namu Town, Quxu County, Lhasa City, villager Nyima only needs to tap his mobile phone, and the automatic irrigation equipment can complete the once arduous task of watering. The water and fertilizer integrated machine in the modern agricultural demonstration base has improved water resource utilization by 60%. Tasks that once required 20 people to complete can now be easily handled by 3 machines. Herdsmen on the grassland of Nagqu can check the carrying capacity of their pastures through mobile apps, and big data platforms can provide snowstorm warnings 30 days in advance. These modern infrastructure facilities have given wings to the development of agriculture and animal husbandry on the plateau.

Digital intelligence propels the development of agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. In recent years, Xizang has been actively building the cloud platform and unified database for agriculture and animal husbandry across the region, and developing the "Xizang Agriculture and Animal Husbandry" mobile app, the rural land (cultivated land) contract right management platform, and product quality and safety traceability platform. The business management of the agricultural product quality and safety intelligent supervision platform has basically achieved full coverage across the region. The two cases of the Xigaze City Highland Barley Industry Big Data Center and the Practice and Application of Big Data in Xizang's Agriculture and Animal Husbandry were successfully selected as outstanding cases in the construction of smart agriculture nationwide in 2023. Damxung, Samdruptse, and Nyemo, three pilot counties for "Internet +" agricultural products to be transported out of villages and into cities, have been approved to create national or regional-level industrial convergence development projects.

The growth in "quantity" spurs a leap in "quality". Recently, the State Intellectual Property Office announced that Xigaze City's "Yadong Salmon" and "Pali Yak" have successfully obtained the certification of national geographical indication protected products. In the first quarter, Xizang's total output value of agriculture, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery reached 2.62 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 10.5%.

Through the integration of modern technology applications and green production methods, plateau-featured agriculture and animal husbandry have achieved a transformation from traditional and inefficient to efficient and green, becoming a vivid practice of new quality productive forces in the agricultural sector and injecting new vitality into the high-quality development of the plateau economy.

With the strong support of modern machinery, spring sowing work across the region is in full swing. As of May 11, the spring sowing area in the region has reached about 1237 km², of which 959 km² is sown with grain crops, laying a solid foundation for a bumper harvest throughout the year.

Industrial digitalization and green transformation advance steadily

Walking into the Lhasa High-tech Industrial Development Zone, a new vista of the digital economy unfolds. Currently, more than 2,700 digital economy enterprises have been registered. From the initial application of digital technologies to their deep integration with the real economy, Xizang has made significant progress in the development of the digital economy.

In the first quarter, Xizang completed the construction of four subsystems, including the clean energy big data center, promoting the deep integration of modern service industry and digital economy. Through digital transformation and convergent development, the service industry has enhanced its industrial added value and become an important support for new quality productive forces.

In recent years, Xizang has witnessed robust demand for construction and building materials. Xizang Zhongyuan Building Materials Group Co., Ltd., on the basis of introducing advanced technologies and combining with local conditions, has conducted research and innovation, producing new wall materials with excellent thermal insulation, sound insulation, and fire resistance, which are well-received in the market. Data shows that in the first quarter, cement production in Xizang increased by 19.4% year-on-year, the output of natural mineral water increased by 5.8%, and beer production increased by 6.5%.

It is worth noting that the green transformation of Xizang's industry continues to deepen, driving the economy towards green, low-carbon, and sustainable development. Through technological innovation and industrial upgrading, the green industry and clean energy industry have become important aspects in the formation of new quality productive forces.

In the first quarter, Xizang's clean energy industry continued to grow, with the installed capacity of power generation under construction reaching 17.325 million kilowatts and the installed capacity in operation reaching 10.34 million kilowatts. Clean energy has provided a strong impetus for the economic and social development of Xizang and even the whole country, and has laid a solid energy foundation for the sustainable development of the industry.

Scientific and technological innovation drives the transformation of old and new growth drivers

As the core driving force of new quality productive forces, scientific and technological innovation has promoted the development of various industries towards high-end, intelligent, and green directions through technological breakthroughs and industrial upgrading. The role of scientific and technological innovation has become increasingly prominent in the region's economic operations in the first quarter.

Xizang actively supports 35 enterprises in conducting technological research and development centered on plateau-specific industries. The classification and coding of Tibetan medicine diseases have successfully passed the expert review of theNational Traditional Chinese Medicine Standardization Technical Committee, and the grid digitalization development index of the clean energy big data center has reached 77.6%.

The number of technology contract identifications and registrations in Xizang has tripled in the past three years. Currently, 190 enterprises possess high-value patents, with a total of 519 high-value patents, among which those related to strategic emerging industries account for 54.3%. A total of 1,174 technology contracts have been identified and registered by five institutions across the region, including Lhasa High-tech Zone, Lhasa Economic and Technological Development Zone, Science and Technology Information Research Institute of Xizang Autonomous Region, Qamdo High-tech Zone, and Science and Technology Bureau of Xigaze City, with a total transaction amount of 4.289 billion yuan.

This year, Xizang will continue to strengthen policy application and industrial support, steadily promote key projects in industries such as the digital economy, modern service industry, border trade logistics, Tibetan medicine industry, and general aviation industry, to drive innovative development of Xizang's economy at a higher level and in broader fields.

Reporter: Li Meiying

Translator: Zhi Xinghua, Liu Fang

Review: Hu Rongguo, Drakpa Wangchen