China to begin construction of Ya'an-Linzhi section of Sichuan-Tibet Railway close to India's border
Beijing: China is all set to begin the construction of the strategic Sichuan-Tibet Railway between Ya'an in southwest Sichuan province and Linzhi in Tibet, close to the Indian border in Arunachal Pradesh, the official media reported.
China Railway announced on Saturday the bidding results for the construction of two tunnels and one bridge, as well as the power supply project for the Ya'an-Linzhi section of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, indicating that construction of the project is about to begin.
The Sichuan-Tibet Railway is the second such project in Tibet after the Qinghai-Tibet Railway. It will go through the southeast of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the world's most geologically active areas, a report by the state-run China News reported.
The Sichuan-Tibet Railway starts from Chengdu, the capital of Sichuan province, and travels through Ya'an and enters Tibet via Qamdo, shortening the journey from Chengdu to Lhasa from 48 hours to 13 hours, the report said.
Linzhi, which is also known as Nyingchi, is located close to the Arunachal Pradesh border.
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.
Linzhi also has an airport, one of the five built by China in the Himalayan region.
The newly-built Ya'an-Linzhi section runs 1,011 kilometers and includes 26 stations. Trains are expected to run at speeds between 120 and 200 km per hour, a staffer in charge of the project said.
The total cost of the entire Sichuan-Tibet Railway project is around 319.8 billion yuan (USD 47.8 billion), Global Times reported.
The Sichuan-Tibet railway is also of great significance in safeguarding national unity and maintaining border stability, the daily quoted Chinese experts as saying.
After the Sichuan-Tibet railway starts operation, Tibet will have more exchanges with other parts of the Chinese mainland. Strategically, China's Tibetan region will have much stronger capabilities in material transportation and logistical supplies," Lin Minwang, deputy director at the Center for South Asian Studies at Fudan University, said.
Qian Feng, director of the research department at the National Strategy Institute at Tsinghua University told the daily If a scenario of a crisis happens at the China-India border, the railway will provide a great convenience for China's delivery of strategic materials."
The Sichuan-Tibet Railway will not only accelerate and enhance the overall economic development of the Tibet region but will play an important role in safeguarding border stability, the daily's report said.
The construction of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway is of strategic importance that benefits the overall development of Tibet, Xiong Kunxin, an ethnic studies professor at the Tibet University in Lhasa, said.
As a major infrastructure project, the railway is set to improve transport that has hindered exchanges between the Tibet region and the rest of China, and could help transport advanced equipment and technologies from other places to Tibet, and bring local products out, Xiong said.
Observers said the new railway line will put Tibet on a fast track to catch up with other more developed regions of China, the reports said.
Both Sichuan and Tibet are rich in resources with their unique natural landscapes, huge mineral reserves, and a wide variety of medicinal herbs.
After the completion of the Sichuan-Tibet Railway, it is expected to greatly boost local tourism all along the line, it said.
It will also enhance person-to-person exchanges between different regions and ethnic groups, promote understanding and cultural integration, Xiong said.
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Accused gunman at correspondents' dinner was believed to be targeting top officials, Blanche says
Washington (AP): The accused gunman who tried to storm the ballroom at the White House Correspondents' Association dinner with guns and knives travelled across the country before the event and is believed to have been targeting members of the Trump administration, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche said Sunday.
Blanche also said officials believe the suspect traveled by train from California to Chicago and then on to Washington, where in recent days he checked in as a guest to the hotel where one of Washington's glitziest events was being held Saturday night.
Investigators have not publicly named the suspect, but two law enforcement officials familiar with the matter have identified him to The Associated Press as 31-year-old Cole Tomas Allen of Torrance, California.
Law enforcement officials who have examined the gunman's electronic devices and his writings preliminarily believe he intended to target administration members in attendance at the dinner. He attempted to charge into the cavernous ballroom at the Washington Hilton but was tackled to the ground in a chaotic scene that resulted in shots being fired, President Donald Trump being hurried off the stage and guests ducking for cover beneath their tables.
“It does appear that he did in fact set out to target folks who work in the administration, likely including the president,” Blanche told NBC's “Meet the Press.”
The suspect is believed to have purchased the firearms he carried within the last couple of years, Blanche said. He is not being cooperative and is expected to face multiple charges on Monday.
Video posted by Trump showed the suspect running past security barricades as Secret Service agents ran toward him. One officer was shot in a bullet-resistant vest but was recovering, officials said. The gunman was taken into custody and was not injured, but was being evaluated at a hospital, police said.
“He failed,” Blanche said on CBS's “Face the Nation.” “Law enforcement did their jobs.”
Social media posts that appear to match the suspect show he is a highly educated tutor and amateur video game developer.
A May 2025 profile photo of Allen appears to match the appearance of the man in a photo of the alleged attacker being taken into custody that was posted Saturday night by Trump. The photo, posted to the social networking site LinkedIn, shows him in a cap and gown after graduating with a master's degree in computer science from California State University, Dominguez Hills.
Allen earned a bachelor's degree in 2017 in mechanical engineering from the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. He listed his involvement there in a Christian student fellowship and a campus group that battled with Nerf guns.
The shooting at the security barricades happened minutes after the event got underway.
The Secret Service and other authorities swarmed the room as guests ducked under tables by the hundreds. Gasps echoed through the ballroom as guests realized something was happening. Hundreds of journalists immediately got on phones to call in information.
“Out of the way, sir!” someone yelled. Others yelled to duck. From one corner, a “God Bless America” chant began as the president was escorted offstage. Outside the hotel, members of the National Guard and other authorities flooded the area as helicopters circled overhead.
After an initial attempt to resume the event, it was scrapped for the night and will be rescheduled.
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