BEIJING - Tibet is now in its best period of development, Chinese leaders said, while visiting an exhibition marking the 60th anniversary of the peaceful liberation of Tibet on Friday.

Jia Qinglin, Li Changchun and Li Keqiang, all members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when visiting the exhibition at Beijing's Cultural Palace of Nationalities.

The peaceful liberation of Tibet was a tipping point in Tibet's history, marking its transition from autocracy to democracy, from poverty to affluence, and from seclusion to openness, said the leaders in an official statement.

During the past six decades, under the leadership of the central government and with assistance from across the nation, Tibet has undergone sweeping changes, they said.

Featuring 500 photographs, historical documents, and multimedia shows, the exhibition focuses on the remarkable achievements made in economic, political, cultural and social realms in Tibet during the past six decades.

More than 170,000 people have visited the exhibition in Beijing, which ran from June 15 through Friday.

The exhibition will now travel to Lhasa, capital of the Tibet autonomous region, where it will start showing later this month.

Xinhua

(China Daily 07/10/2011 page2)