in 2000, sft and other tibetan independence groups controversially launched complaints to the world bank against the implementation of its loan in 1999 for the china western poverty reduction project. the groups claimed that the project, to provide irrigation, land improvement, and construction of basic roads to inaccessible mountainous and semi-arid areas in central and western china, would push chinese migration into qinghai and "suffocate the tibetan way of life there". in response, the world bank president proposed to delay the project for "deeper environmental review", but china withdrew its application to fund the project with its own resources. the chinese executive director criticized the groups, saying "we regret that because of political opposition... the world bank has lost a good opportunity to assist some of the poorest people... in the world".