Abstract
After 20 years of central government efforts that include generous state subsidies, the Tibet Autonomous Region remains the People's Republic of China's poorest administrative unit. Growth rates over the past decade have exceeded the national average, while the average Tibetan is better fed & clothed than in the past. However, development has been extensive, resulting from higher subsidies, rather than intensive. Economic rates of return are low & dropping, raising fears that the TAR is becoming more dependent on external aid. There are also questions about the distribution of benefits between both Han vs Tibetans & urban vs rural dwellers; the impact of development projects on the environment; & their deleterious effects on traditional Tibetan culture. Adapted from the source document.