The newly-appointed top official of Tibet has won applause for saying people's livelihoods have been his top priority during his entire political life in the autonomous region.

Named Party chief of the Tibet autonomous region by the Communist Party of China Central Committee on Sunday, Wu Yingjie, 59, is the first person to hold the position after spending his whole political career in the region.

Since 1974, Wu, who was born in Shandong province, has worked on livestock farms, at power plants, in education and for the government and Party Committee in Tibet.