LHASA, Oct. 30 (Xinhua) -- The First Xizang International Communication Conference was held on Wednesday in Nyingchi City, southwest China's Xizang Autonomous Region, as part of the 2025 Forum on the Development of Xizang.

Themed "Building a hub for global dialogue," the event brought together more than 150 experts and officials to discuss how to better engage with the world and share authentic stories of life in Xizang, known as the roof of the world.

"Xizang has long been the focus of global attention -- and at the center of a fierce battle of narratives," Wang Haizhou, the region's top publicity official and a member of the standing committee of the Xizang Autonomous Regional Committee of the Communist Party of China, said in his opening speech.

Zhang Weiwei, director of the China Institute of Fudan University, noted that the development of high-altitude areas is a global challenge, and Xizang's progress showcases China's ability to conduct long-term planning, coordinate national efforts and take concrete actions to improve livelihood.

Noting that Xizang's accomplishments, including widespread adoption of clean energy and free annual health checkups for residents, deserve greater global attention, he expressed hopes for more foreigners, especially the youth, to visit Xizang and help the world better understand the region.

Xing Guangcheng, a veteran borderland studies expert and member of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, connected Xizang's development to China's broader modernization efforts, highlighting how poverty alleviation and infrastructure projects have facilitated the region's rapid development.

"Xizang should not be isolated simply because of its high altitude," he said. "It must open up further and leverage its border location to strengthen engagement with South Asia and Southeast Asia."

Xizang received 63.89 million domestic and international visitors in 2024, a 15.8 percent year-on-year increase. Growth momentum continued in the first half of 2025, as the region welcomed 32.18 million visitors, up 11.7 percent year on year, according to the regional government.

Xizang has been a longtime magnet for global fascination, and yet also a target of Western smear campaigns.

"What is the real situation in Xizang? Are the Tibetan people happy, free, and enjoying human rights? The people who live here are best-placed to answer," said Chu Guoqiang, Party secretary and president of Xizang Daily. He called on Western journalists to "discard prejudice and see with clear eyes," encouraging them to visit Xizang and hear from the locals themselves.

Yin Dongmei, Party secretary of the Shanghai International Studies University, said, "By telling relatable stories and the experiences of ordinary people, we can help the world understand that the 'Chinese nation as one community" is not an abstract concept but a living reality on the ground."

Effective international communication begins with perception. As Professor Zhan Xun from the University of Electronic Science and Technology of China noted, the ambition for Xizang's global outreach goes beyond presenting an authentic image -- it aims to foster a global appreciation for a region that is dynamic, diverse and self-assured.

Through mutual learning and appreciation among civilizations, a more authentic, multidimensional Xizang will undoubtedly emerge on the world stage, Yin said.