On February 8, 2001 (January 16, 2001 in the lunar calendar), the Premier's Office of the State Council reviewed the Qinghai-Tibet Railway construction plan. On February 8, 2001, the Premier's Office Meeting of the State Council heard a report from the State Planning Commission on the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and conducted a study on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway construction plan. The meeting believed that the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is of great significance to accelerating the economic and social development of the western region, especially Xizang region, and benefiting the people of all ethnic groups along the route. This project will become another landmark project in the development of the western region. The Tibet Autonomous Region covers an area of more than 1.2 million square kilometers. It is located on the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, with an average altitude of more than 4000 meters. Entering and exiting Xizang mainly relies on road and air transportation, and so far there is no access to railways. Backwardness in transportation infrastructure construction is an important reason restricting the economic and social development of this region. Extending the railway to Xizang is the long-cherished wish of the older generation of leaders and generations of builders in New China. Since the 1950s, relevant state departments have carried out research, demonstration and preliminary work on railway construction. General Secretary Jiang Zemin is very concerned about railway construction in Xizang. In November 2000, he issued important instructions on the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, pointing out that the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is very necessary and is very beneficial to developing transportation, tourism, and promoting economic and cultural exchanges between Xizang and the mainland. We should make up our minds to start construction as soon as possible. This is a big decision we should make as we enter the new century, and it will surely bring great inspiration to the people of all ethnic groups across the country, including the cadres and the masses in Xizang. He asked relevant state departments to study quickly and analyze and compare multiple plans so that the Party Central Committee and the State Council can make correct decisions. Based on this, the State Council instructed relevant departments to conduct further intensive investigation and demonstration work. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway starts from Golmud, Qinghai, in the east and ends in Lhasa, Xizang, in the west, with a total length of 1118 kilometers, including about 600 kilometers in permafrost areas and more than 960 kilometers in areas with an altitude higher than 4000 meters. The Qinghai-Tibet Railway will become the highest and longest plateau railway in the world. For a long time, the railway design department and scientific research department have cooperated to carry out technical research and tests on building railways under complex geological conditions, making full preparations for the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. In recent years, relevant national departments have accelerated the preliminary work of the project, compared and selected multiple route selection plans including Qinghai-Tibet, Dian-Tibet, Sichuan-Tibet, Gansu-Tibet, etc., and conducted a comprehensive and in-depth study on the economic feasibility of building the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. According to the instructions of the State Council, in December last year, the State Planning Commission held a reporting and demonstration meeting on the Qinghai-Tibet Railway in Beijing, and then formally submitted the Qinghai-Tibet Railway project proposal to the State Council. When the Premier's Office of the State Council reviewed the Qinghai-Tibet Railway construction plan, Premier Zhu Rongji pointed out that after more than 20 years of reform and opening up, my country's comprehensive national strength has been significantly enhanced, and it already has the economic strength to build the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. Through years of uninterrupted scientific research and engineering tests, relatively feasible solutions have also been proposed to road construction technical problems in plateau frozen soil areas. In the comprehensive comparison of several construction plans, the Qinghai-Tibet Railway plan is more favorable, with less investment, short construction period and relatively flat terrain. The time is ripe to build the Qinghai-Tibet Railway and the conditions are basically met, so the project can be approved. Zhu Rongji emphasized that the construction of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway is a major decision made by the Party Central Committee and the State Council. It is of great significance to accelerating the economic and social development of Xizang, promoting economic and cultural exchanges between the Tibet Autonomous Region and other regions of the country, and enhancing national unity. Relevant departments should further improve the construction plan, promptly carry out project feasibility study and demonstration, and strive to start construction as soon as possible.