ROME: A Chinese official has spoken highly of a forum on the development of Tibet concluded here on Friday, saying the reality of China's Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR) would be known by more people.

"As a co-sponsor of the forum, we felt that most Italian people are interested in China and its Tibet Autonomous Region," Wang Chen, Minister of the State Council Information Office of China, told Xinhua.

"They are very friendly and supportive to China's policies in Tibet," Wang added, "this has been vividly proven during the high-level, large-scale forum."

The forum, the second of its kind, was jointly sponsored by the State Council Information Office of China, the Italy-China Foundation and the Chinese embassy. The first forum was held in Vienna in November 2007.

Wang said the forum succeeded in promoting international exchanges of views on the development of Tibet.

The success of the forum indicated that a majority of Europeans had seen and recognized the tremendous achievements Tibet had made in all sectors with the support of the Chinese central government since the founding of the People's Republic of China (PRC) 60 years ago, he noted.

Wang said that for some reasons, some people had different views on Tibet.

For one thing, he said, there is a lack of knowledge among some Europeans about Tibet as not many of them have ever been there "because China is far away from Europe and Tibet is located on a remote plateau."

Besides, out of political prejudice, some Westerners are reluctant to recognize the founding of the PRC and TAR, the Chinese official noted.

These people have been indulging themselves with the illusion that Tibet is a Shangrila that has nothing to do with China, which "is certainly not in line with the truth," Wang said.

Also, the Dalai Lama and his followers, harboring an ulterior motive to separate Tibet from China, have launched a lot of distorted propaganda against China in the West, Wang pointed out.

But Wang expressed his confidence that more and more people in the world would get to know the truth about Tibet.

The attendees of the forum expressed their willingness in a final joint statement to enhance cooperation by various means to help the development in Tibet, Wang said.

An exhibition featuring some 60 paintings on Tibet's natural scenery and society is also on show since Friday in Rome.