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The gross domestic product (GDP) of southwest China's Tibet Autonomous Region surged by 12.1 percent year on year to reach 9.489 billion yuan (1.17 billion US dollars)in the first half of this year, according to the regional statistics bureau.

The growth rate is higher than the national average of 9.5 percent for the first half of this year.

The region reported a combined agricultural, forestry, animal husbandry and fishery value added of 1.91 billion yuan (about 235 million US dollars), an industrial value added of 650 million yuan(80.15 million US dollars), foreign trade volume of 88.7 million US dollars, and a fixed assets investment of 5.52 billion yuan (679 million US dollars), representing increases ranging from 10 percent to 17 percent year on year.

Jinme Doje, director of the regional statistics bureau, said local economic growth in Tibet owes much to the central government, other provinces, and the state-owned enterprises that have funded infrastructure construction, contributing significantly to economic development in Tibet.

The region's fixed assets investment mainly comes from the state budget, said Jinme, who forecast an over-12 percent economic growth rate for the whole year.