China will build an airport in Ngari Prefecture of the Tibet Autonomous Region, a regional government official said here Tuesday.

The project is part of the nation's development plan for the next five years, said Yan Shijin, deputy director of the regional development and reform commission.

The State Development and Reform Commission has allocated fund for the preparatory work and geological survey is underway, Yan said at an ongoing meeting on the development of western China.

The site of the new airport, 4,300 meters in elevation, is about 30 kilometers away from Shiquanhe, the central town of Ngari Prefecture.

Ngari is located in the westernmost part of Tibet. Shiquanhe is 1780 kilometers away from Lhasa, the regional capital.

Yan said that an airport is very necessary for Ngari, which is expected to shorten the trip between the isolated prefecture and other areas in the region.

There are two airports in Tibet, one in Lhasa and the other in Qamdo Prefecture. The latter, Bomda Airport built in 1995, is currently the world's most elevated airport 4,334 meters above sea level.

(Xinhua News Agency August 17, 2005)