On the afternoon of March 10, the Ministry of Commerce (MOFCOM) and the People’s Government of the Tibet Autonomous Area (TAR) signed the pairing-assistance and cooperation agreement in Beijing. Both parties agreed to strengthen the pairing-assistance and cooperation of the ministry to jointly boost the autonomous area's faster and better development of opening up to the inside and outside world and commercial business.

Commerce minister Chen Deming, secretary of the Party Committee of the TAR Zhang Qingli and deputy secretary of the Party Committee of the TAR and chairman of the TAR Padma Choling attended the signing ceremony.  

Chen and Padma Choling respectively represented both parties to sign the Pairing-Assistance and Cooperation Agreement between the Ministry of Commerce and the People’s Government of the Tibet Autonomous Area. Chen Deming, Zhang Qingli and Padma Choling held the talks before the signing ceremony.

In accordance to the Agreement, the MOFCOM will enhance pairing-assistance and cooperation with the autonomous within five years to boost the faster and better growth of the area’s commercial business.  

Firstly, to strengthen the support for the commercial business of TAR; secondly, to boost the domestic trade of TAR; thirdly, to step up the economic and trade cooperation with south Asian countries to uplift the open level along the border; fourthly, to maintain the steady growth of foreign trade; fifthly, to raise the quality and level of utilizing foreign capital; sixthly, to enhance the support of fund for TAR commercial business; and seventhly, to beef up the construction of TAR commercial talents.