Lhasa, capital of the Tibet Autonomous Region, has set up a specific panel in its local political advisory group for returned overseas Tibetans to participate in and discuss political affairs.

It was the first time the Lhasa Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), the country's top political advisory body, has set up such a panel.

According to the China News Service, Yang Hanyuan, secretary general of the 9th Lhasa Committee, made the announcement prior to the opening of the 10th Lhasa Committee on Sunday.

The Lhasa Committee now covers 13 panels, grouping talents such as Communist Party of China members, and people from sectors including the military and police, ethnic groups, religious groups, agriculture and education.

The new panel for the patriotic united front and returned overseas Tibetans was made up of 13 people, five of whom are returned overseas Tibetans, said Yang.

In the 9th Lhasa Committee, there were only three returned overseas Tibetans listed in the panel for ethnic groups, Yang Hanyuan said.

"The returned overseas Tibetan members are very actively participating in and discussing politics. Combining their overseas experiences, the returned overseas Tibetans have offered useful suggestions and made contributions to the development of Lhasa," Yang Hanyuan said.

However, as these members were included in the panel of ethnic groups, their concerns differ from those of the other members in the panel, Yang said, adding the new panel would help them to provide suggestions and conduct activities.

Experts and Lhasa residents hailed the change in the political advisory group.

"Those Tibetans returned from overseas could strengthen the unity of overseas Chinese and Chinese ethnic groups and help people around the world get a better understanding of Tibet," Bao Mingde, a member of the CPPCC, and also a professor with the Institute of Ethnic Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, told the Global Times on Sunday.