The Tibet autonomous region has given a huge boost to its transportation links through new railways, airports and highways, Tibetan legislator Qizhala said on Tuesday.

Qizhala, head of a Chinese National People's Congress Tibetan delegation visiting Mexico, told members of the Mexican Senate's Asia-Pacific Foreign Relations Committee that the region overcame technical challenges posed by its altitude in achieving the improvements.

Tibet's development requires the building of infrastructure, but the region seeks to strike a balance between construction and environmental protection, said Qizhala, a delegate to the NPC and chief of the Communist Party of China Lhasa Municipal Committee.

During the meeting, Mexican senator Manuel Cavazos Lerma said: "Despite the distance, we feel a great affinity with China, and the relationship between us has grown stronger over time."

Cavazos Lerma hailed the policies of China's central government, which he said have reduced poverty and improved growth, as well as advanced political, economic, social and cultural development in the region.