Beijing has defended the opening of the first rail link to Tibet and its approach to indigenous issues, amid growing claims it is accelerating cultural assimilation of ethnic minorities.
State Ethnic Affairs Commission vice-minister Tondrub Wangben said it would be a grave mistake to isolate any ethnic group in the name of cultural preservation and deny them their right to pursue economic prosperity.
'If an ethnic group is to be cut off from the outside world and be admired simply because of its unique culture, I would say it is inhumane even though it may preserve [the group's] originality,' he said at a briefing on government policy towards the 55 ethnic minorities.
'We must take development into consideration when talking about the inheritance of culture.'
Mr Tondrub made the remarks when asked about the impact on local ethnic groups from infrastructure projects, such as the Qinghai-Tibet railway, which opened in July, and the controversial hydroelectric projects in Yunnan and Sichuan .
'Protecting the culture of various ethnic groups has become a global issue and also the biggest challenge for many countries.'
