China and the European Union (EU) jointly launched a poverty-relief program in Lhasa Monday, to assist 40,000 people in the rural areas of Bainang of Tibet, southwest China.
The EU will donate 7.6 million euro and China 16.05 million yuan to the program, which is designed to develop nine poverty-relief projects and will concentrate on areas such as education, health and drinking water supply.
Richard Hardlman, the EU project director, said the EU hopes the project will help promote the development of production and improve the living standards of the local people.
Gyabo, vice-chairman of the Tibet Autonomous Regional government, said that the local people will benefit from the project, the first one of its kind launched by EU.
Bainang is an important agricultural area in Tibet. The Chinese government has so far spent 200 million yuan on irrigation projects there.
(Xinhua News Agency April 29, 2002)
