A senior Chinese official highlighted in Athens on Thursday the achievements made by China's Tibet towards modernization and social development in the last 60 years.

Wang Chen, head of the Chinese State Council Information Office told the opening ceremony of the third forum on the development of Tibet that since Tibet's peaceful liberation in 1951, the region has made great strides towards modernization and ushered in a new era of social development.

"Thanks to the continued attention of the central government, support from other parts of the country, as well as concerted efforts by all ethnic groups in Tibet, Tibet has undergone great changes and made unprecedented progress in all aspects over the past six decades," Wang told the forum.

Over 200 government officials and scholars, as well as business and media representatives from Greece, China and other countries are attending the forum.

Topics of the two-day event will include Tibet's economic-social development, cultural heritage, environmental protection, technology, education, tourism development and foreign investment opportunities.

Wang said the living standard of the local people in Tibet has been dramatically improved with their average life expectancy rising to 67 years from the pre-liberation level of 35.5 years.

"It is indeed a miracle that the ancient and mysterious plateau region has taken just decades to achieve what would have taken others a thousand years," said Wang.

Wang said the snow-capped plateau is now enjoying a golden era of development, with a growing economy, an evolving society, a prosperous culture, a higher standard of living, coexistence among different religious and ethnic groups, and a happy working and family life enjoyed by local people.

"The region has aligned itself with the pace of national development and has, because of its unique advantages, shown great potential for future growth," said Wang.

The forum is jointly sponsored by China's State Council Information Office, the Chinese embassy in Greece and the Hellenic-Chinese Chamber of Commerce and Industries to enhance the world's understanding of Tibet and strengthen international co-operation on the development of Tibet.

This forum is the third one of its kind, after the previous two which were successfully held in Vienna, Austria in 2007 and Rome, Italy in 2009.

(Xinhua News Agency November 11, 2011)