The growth rate is higher than the national average of 9.5 percent for the first half of this year.

The region reported a combined agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery value added of 1.91 billion yuan (about US$235 million), an industrial value added of 650 million yuan (US$80.15 million), foreign trade volume of US$88.7 million, and a fixed assets investment of 5.52 billion yuan (US$679 million), representing increases ranging from 10 percent to 17 percent year on year.

Jinme Doje, director of the regional statistics bureau, said local economic growth in Tibet owes much to the central government, other provinces, and the state-owned enterprises that have funded infrastructure construction, contributing significantly to economic development in Tibet.

The region's fixed assets investment mainly comes from the state budget, said Jinme, who forecast an over-12 percent economic growth rate for the whole year.

(Xinhua News Agency July 23, 2005)