China’s Xizang boosts tourism, specialty industries, infrastructure for high-quality development

China’s Xizang Autonomous Region is gaining economic momentum by integrating agriculture, culture and tourism, developing specialty industries, and enhancing infrastructure, local officials said.

Gala Village in Nyingchi City has emerged as a model for rural tourism-driven growth.

Home to 278 mu (about 18.5 hectares) of wild peach trees, the village transforms into a breathtaking sea of delicate pink blossoms during March and April. Designated as one of China's best rural tourism villages, Gala has effectively leveraged its natural beauty to fuel economic growth.

By developing services such as peach picking, sightseeing tours, local snacks, and photography experiences, the villagers have seen their livelihoods improve and their incomes grow substantially.

"There are many tourists this year. Last year, our family received a dividend of about 100,000 yuan (approximately 13,779 U.S. dollars) from our village's tourism industry. In addition, we raised cattle and sold milk residue and ghee, which brought us another 100,000 yuan," said Lhamo Yudron, a local villager.

The local government continues to enhance the cultural tourism industry while striving to improve service quality. Since the start of this year, Nyingchi's total tourism revenue has grown by approximately 12 percent year on year, while the output value of cultural and related industries has surged by about 20 percent.

"Preferential policies aimed at stabilizing the market, promoting tourism, and improving people's well-being are attracting more tourists. Next, we will vigorously implement nine key actions, including leveraging the scenic beauty of the peach blossom landscape to boost the local economy, accelerating the infrastructure development of tourist attractions, enhancing the overall tourism environment, all aimed at promoting the creation of world-class tourist destinations with high standards," said Yudron, vice mayor of Nyingchi.

In Nagqu, located in southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region and known as the core yak production area, the entire yak industry chain has benefited over 370,000 people, contributing to a total income increase of more than 670 million yuan (approximately 92.3 million U.S. dollars). This year, local authorities have enhanced efforts in improved seed cultivation and ecological breeding to achieve a win-win outcome of expanding grasslands, boosting livestock numbers, and enhancing industrial efficiency.

From developing specialty industries to enhancing livelihood security, from accelerating foreign trade and economic cooperation to advancing infrastructure, Xizang's growth momentum has continued to strengthen.

The region's total foreign trade value has surpassed 10 billion yuan (about 1.4 billion U.S. dollars) for two consecutive years. At the international port in Xigaze City, freight trains operate efficiently, contributing to regional connectivity. Meanwhile, infrastructure projects are progressing steadily, with the Pangduo Water Diversion Project in Lhasa moving forward to meet the city's domestic and industrial water demands upon completion.

China’s Xizang boosts tourism, specialty industries, infrastructure for high-quality development

Los Angeles is grappling with rising costs and delays in its wildfire recovery process, as tariffs on construction materials imposed during the Trump administration compound the challenges.

The devastating wildfires recently destroyed over 17,000 homes and businesses, leaving communities urgently pushing forward with reconstruction.

The Trump administration has recently rolled out new tariffs on a wide range of construction materials, including steel and aluminum, from the main trading partners of the United States, such as Canada, Mexico, and China. This has significantly driven up costs, further complicating the recovery efforts

"As the city and county of Los Angeles move aggressively to rebuild the wildfire areas in Malibu, Pacific Palisades, and up in Altadena, to build those houses, we need softwood lumber, aluminum, and steel from Canada," said Gene Soroka, executive director of Port of Los Angeles.

While the tariffs aim to boost domestic production, the transition will take time. In the interim, the shortage of materials is creating ripple effects across the construction sector.

"We are still handling a lot of imported steel, despite the tariffs because there's not enough American manufacturing of steel right now. So, one of the unintended consequences that this has done the wrong way is you don't have enough steel. That impacts construction, that impacts economic growth across the board," said Weston Labar, chief strategy office of Waterfront Logistics.

According to the Associated General Contractors of America, housing costs could skyrocket by almost 50 percent, widening the gap between insurance payouts and actual rebuilding expenses. It may force many homeowners to delay or even abandon their reconstruction plans, prolonging the housing shortage in Los Angeles.

Tariffs are also driving up prices for other products, impacting recovery efforts.

"We need appliances from Mexico, furniture from China, and all of those prices are going up, whether anticipatory, or real as these imports are coming across our port complex. So, we've got to have some pretty detailed discussions about this because families who want to rebuild, businesses who want to get back into the office are going to be impacted by these tariffs one way or another," said Soroka.

As Los Angeles strives to recover, the economic uncertainty caused by tariffs presents a formidable obstacle.

Tariffs add strain to Los Angeles wildfire recovery efforts