China’s "One Belt and One Road" strategy has brought new opportunities to Shigatse, making it see potential of more rapid economic and social development. The city will implement the strategy of opening up to the outside world in all-round way， accelerate the construction of Shigatse-Gyirong Railway and Shigatse-Yadong Railway, and upgrad and reconstruction of China-Nepal Highway, according to Samdrup Tsering, deputy mayor of Shigatse.

On Feb. 1,  a conference to promote the "One Belt and One Road" Ccnstruction was held in Beijing. Tibet abuts Xinjiang Autonomous Region, and Qinghai, Yunnan and other provinces along the strategic route,  and also borders with India, Nepal, Burma, Bhutan and other South Asian countries.

"The opening of the Lhasa-Shigatse Railway has provided a good basic condition for raising the level of Tibet’s border economic development and trade, and promoting the prosperity of its border trade," said Niu Zhifu, Vice President of the Party School of Tibet Autonomous Region.

In recent years, Tibet and China’s neighboring countries have been exploring a diversified and mutually beneficial cooperation model. The trade fair between China’s Tibet andNepal has been upgraded to the national level.

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Nepal. As an important city in Tibet linking the western region of China with South Asian Subcontinent, Shigatse is also a  key city for regional circulation specified in the "One Belt and One Road" strategy. On Aug. 1, 1955, China and Nepal formally established diplomatic relations on the basis of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence. From 2006 to 2014, Nepal was Tibet Autonomous Region's largest trading partner for nine running years.

At the end of 2014, Gyirong Port in Shigatse opened wider to the outside world. As the national first-class overland trading port, Gyirong Port engages in general trade, small-scale border trade, counter-trade of border residents and other kinds of trade, promoting the development of border trade between China's Tibet and Nepal.

Samdrup Tsering said, "Shigatse will accelerate the construction of Shigatse-Gyirong Railway and Shigatse-Yadong Railway and the upgrading and reconstruction of China-Nepal Highway, comprehensively improve the infrastructure conditions of the port and the port area, promote the construction of the economic cooperation belt around the Himalayas and enhance the construction of China-Nepal cross-border economic cooperation zone."

In addition, Shigatse will also expand imports of goods, accelerate the development of cross-border tourism, promote facilitation of customs clearance and further enlarge the trade with Nepal and India.