In response to claims that the Qinghai-Tibet Railway poses a threat to Tibet's ecosystem, Qiangba Puncog, chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional Government said, "As I have often mentioned, environmental protection during the railway construction taught me a lot."

According to the chairman, he often instructs his subordinates to preserve the ecological environment in construction projects, following the practice adopted during the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway.

File photo shows a train roaring on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway at the Kunlun Mountains area in Qinghai Province. (Xinhua Photo)
 
To protect the vegetation along the railway, the Chinese Government arranged railway builders to transfer the turf elsewhere under special care during the process of constructing the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. After the railroad bed was completed, the turf was moved back to its original place. In order not to disturb the migration of wild animals, overhead passageways were built in key areas to offer passages for them. According to Puncog, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is characterized by its eco-friendliness.

"People of all ethnic groups living on the snowy plateau preserve the environment here just like caring for their eyes." As an official of Tibetan ethnicity, Puncog, just like all the Tibetan people, loves this piece of land. He says that currently, Tibet boasts the best and most natural ecosystem.
The Qinghai-Tibet Plateau is referred to as the "launcher" of world climate, the Asian "water tower" and the origin of rivers and it serves as the origin for both the Yangtze River and the Yellow River. According to Puncog, the preservation of the environment here is not only crucial to Tibet but also to the eco-security of China and Asia. Protecting Tibet's ecology is shouldering the responsibility for China and the world.

Over the past ten years, the Chinese Government has attached unprecedented importance to Tibet's ecological construction and environmental protection. As is introduced by Puncog, the Chinese Government has invested more than 6.7 billion yuan into this field since the 10th Five-year Plan was launched in 2001.