The Tibet Autonomous Regional Government has been stepping up its efforts to develop the ports of entry as the border trade between Tibet and Nepal and India is growing fast.

As the large-scale upgrading of the Chinese-Nepal Highway was completed earlier this year, the Zham Port of Entry on the Tibet-Nepal border can be reached by bus from Lhasa within one day.

Photo shows a Nepali girl (L1) and her workmates serving a Sharpa ethnic resort in Zham Port of Entry, photo from chinatibetnews.com.

Construction of a new joint customs inspection building in Zham was also finished earlier this year. Zham, the largest port of entry in Tibet, is expected to play a greater role in trade between Tibet and other southern Asian countries.

Meanwhile, with a total funding of 1.2 billion yuan (175.8 million U.S. dollars), Tibet has accelerated construction of infrastructure at Gyirong Port of Entry, including transport services, energy and communications facilities.

Picture shows a corner of the newly-completed Nagqu Logistics Center along the Qinghai-Tibet railway, Aug 17, 2009, photo from Xinhua.

Gyirong will also build a storage processing center and a logistic park to enhance border trade, at a total cost of 140 million yuan.

In the meantime, the Tibet Regional Government has made greater efforts to open up and develop the Yadong Port of Entry on the China-India border.

With the construction of the Lhasa-Xigaze branch line of the Qinghai-Tibet Railway, the cost of transportation between Yadong and other parts of Tibet will fall substantially.

Tibet's total import and export volume is expected to top one billion U.S. dollars next year, according to Tibet's Commerce Department.