The government of China's southwestern province of Sichuan and the CPC Sichuan Provincial Committee  recently sent a letter of thanks to their counterparts in China's eastern province of Zhejiang-- on behalf of the 91 million Sichuan residents of numerous ethnicities who have benefitted from latter province's longtime assistance in poverty relief work there.

Over the past five years, Sichuan's registered impoverished population of 6.25 million has been completely lifted out of poverty and 88 counties and 11,501 villages no longer need relief funds. In the letter, Sichuan's authorities attributed part of their success to Zhejiang's huge support and strenuous efforts – with the letter adding that Sichuan residents would always be grateful.

According to the missive, nine cities and 56 counties in Zhejiang were paired with 11 cities and 40 counties in Sichuan, in the east-west poverty relief program launched by the central government. This has seen the more prosperous provinces and municipalities in East China lend support to the underdeveloped western regions.

Several examples of Zhejiang's assistance were cited in the letter. In one, a tea variety native to Zhejiang's Anji county was introduced to Sichuan's Qingchuan county, bringing prosperity to local farmers. Another example cited was that school kids living in the remote mountains of Sichuan's Pingshan county gained full access to the teaching resources in Zhejiang's Haiyan county, through distance learning. A large number of cadres and engineers from Zhejiang also volunteered to work in Sichuan's impoverished regions, making significant economic contributions.

At the end of the letter, Sichuan's authorities expressed their willingness to further strengthen economic ties with Zhejiang and seek deeper cooperation in the years to come.