Potala Palace in Lhasa, Xizang autonomous region. [Photo/IC]

Xizang autonomous region's regional economy reached a historic milestone in 2025, with its gross domestic product (GDP) exceeding 300 billion yuan ($38.47 billion).

This achievement marks a significant step forward as the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25) concludes and the region prepares to launch the 15th.

The pace of growth highlights the accelerating momentum of Xizang's development. It took 50 years after the region's establishment to reach its first 100 billion yuan in GDP in 2015. By 2021, the economy doubled to 200 billion yuan after six years, and has now added another 100 billion yuan in just four years. This faster progress reflects a shift into a period of sustained, higher-quality growth.

In recent years, Xizang has focused on optimizing its economic structure, improving efficiency, and cultivating new growth drivers through policies tailored to local conditions. Despite a complex global and domestic environment, the region's major economic indicators have continued to rank among the fastest-growing nationwide.

Officials say the 300 billion yuan milestone reflects concurrent improvements in economic scale, quality, and performance, helping Xizang gradually narrow the gap with more developed regions while moving closer to national modernization goals.

Looking ahead, major projects are advancing steadily across the plateau, including hydropower development, railway construction, clean energy expansion, and rural vitalization. With more than 13 million kilowatts of installed clean energy capacity and over 1,000 highland villages under development, Xizang is entering its next stage of growth with stronger foundations and greater confidence.