Decades-long support fuels growth of Lhasa

Over the past three decades, Jiangsu province has been aiding Lhasa, capital of the Xizang autonomous region, by promoting long-term stability, improving people's livelihoods and assisting with high-quality development around the city.

The two places are also closely interdependent, despite being more than 3,800 kilometers apart.

Since the province began assisting the city in 1994, Jiangsu has dispatched 10 groups of nearly 1,000 professionals and invested over 8 billion yuan ($1.1 billion) in more than 700 projects, as reported by Xizang Daily.

Jiangsu's assistance has ramped up since 2012. The province has invested more than 5 billion yuan in aid, with over 80 percent directed to grassroots levels to ensure and improve people's livelihoods.

Industrial assistance to Xizang is the core focus of Jiangsu's aid work. It helps develop industries in Lhasa to boost economic strength and foster mutual economic benefits.

For example, the Gesang Tang Modern Agricultural and Animal Husbandry Industry Demonstration Park, located in Lhasa's Lhundrub county, was built thanks to an investment of 150 million yuan.

Traditional livestock management and operation methods meant breeding cycles were long, genetic resources were degraded and economic benefits were relatively low.

To improve the quality of local yaks, the demonstration park has selected top breeds from across the country to mate with the inferior ones.

"The new cows bred in the demonstration park grow exceptionally large, have good health and are less prone to illness, and the time for them to reach market weight has been reduced from the previous seven to eight years to around five years now," Kelsang Wangchuk, a farmer from the village, was quoted as saying by Xizang Daily. "Our income has also increased."