China Inaugurates Fifth Airport in Tibet K J M Varma/Beijing | Oct 30, 2010 PRINT SHARE COMMENTS China inaugurated its fifth airport in Tibet, strategically close to the Indian border. The new 'civil airport' at Xigaze City in southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region began operations today after it was inaugurated at a colourful ceremony, the official media here reported. An Air China Airbus 319 landed at 'Xigaze Peace Airport' in Jiangdang Township at 9:50 am, marking the airport's formal opening. The plane took off from Chengdu, the capital city of neighbouring Sichuan Province, and stopped at Lhasa before flying to Xigaze. The USD 79.7 million airport is located 3,782 meters above sea level and it is the fifth airport in Tibet built by China. The other airports included Lhasa, Nyingchi, Qamdo and Ngari. The new airport has a terminal space of 4,500 sq m and is expected to handle about 230,000 passengers and 1,150 tonnes of cargo annually by 2020, said Xu Bo, chief of the Civil Aviation Bureau of Tibet Autonomous Region. Over the past five years, China has poured over 70 billion yuan (USD 10 billion) into Tibet in 188 infrastructure projects to boost the regional economy and promote tourism, he said. Xiagaze, housing the monastery of the China-appointed Panchen Lama, the second highest spiritual Buddhist leader next to the Dalai Lama, is also the closest Tibetan city to the Indian, Nepal and Bhutan borders. Tibet was very much in news in the recent months as China expanded its air, rail and road network to connect almost all parts of the region to mainland China. The greater movement by China in the Tibetan region has raised security concerns in India as the infrastructure development would allow the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to move its troops to quickly to the Indian border. The PLA also conducted its first air and land military exercises in the Tibet recently. Tibet is also reporting increase in its trade with India and Nepal. Tibet's trade with India picked up after the opening of the Nathu La Pass, a historic trade route wedged between Yadong County of Tibet's Xigaze Prefecture and Sikkim, Xinhua said. Tibet's trade with India totaled 16.3 million yuan (USD 2.44 million) last year, at least 10 times the 2006 volume, thanks to the 2006 reopening of Nathu La Pass, Su Yuanming, an official in charge of border trade at the regional commerce department said. Filed On: Oct 30, 2010 17:30 IST ,  Edited On: Oct 30, 2010 17:30 IST