LHASA -- After two failed attempts to apply for work in Southwest China's Xizang autonomous region, thousands of kilometers away from his hometown, Li Dong finally succeeded in 2022, following his father's footsteps in aiding the construction of the plateau region.

Li's persistence stemmed from a summer vacation trip in 1997, when he visited his father, one of the first cadres in Shandong province assigned to Bainang county in the region to assist local development.

"The history and the culture in Xizang that I learned about during that trip and the stories told by my father lingered in my memory, pushing me to come and work here just like my father," said Li, serving as deputy head of the county now, who is among the 10th batch of cadres assigned by Shandong to work for a three-year term in Xizang.

Benefiting from the aiding efforts of Shandong, a renowned vegetable production base in China, Bainang has developed into "a vegetable basket" on the plateau. More than 2,200 greenhouses produce over 60,000 tonnes of vegetables and fruits every year, and the sector's annual output reaches nearly 300 million yuan (about $42.1 million).

Thirty years ago, the central government decided to rally national support for Xizang. Under the paired-up assistance policy, some central state organs, provincial-level regions and centrally administered state-owned enterprises were designated to assist in specific areas in the region. Since then, cadres from government and enterprise units in more developed areas have taken turns stationed in Xizang, greatly contributing to its development.

The unswerving drive has helped transform a once poor, backward Xizang into a region featuring economic prosperity and the happiness of its people -- a feat that demonstrates the country's political and institutional advantages, which would have been impossible without the leadership of the Communist Party of China.

NEW LOOK

At an average altitude of over 4,500 meters, Nagchu is paired with the economic hub of Zhejiang province in East China, which helps with Nagchu's development.

Statistics show that over the decades, a total of 645 cadres from Zhejiang have been assigned one batch after another, and more than 6 billion yuan has been poured from the province to Nagchu.

In a small village in the rural area of Nagchu, a 143-million yuan program supported by the Zhejiang team to aid Xizang's construction started in 2021, turning the village into a community with concrete roads and neatly distributed new Tibetan houses equipped with tap water.

"Gone are the days when we had to carry water home from several kilometers away," said local villager Tsogyel Wangmo, 57, adding that they now have a flush toilet in their new house.

Also in the city, a smart clothing manufacturing project of a company introduced by officials from Zhejiang began trial operation in mid-June with a total investment of 50 million yuan. Pieces of cloth traverse through several sections when they are automatically made into school uniforms and outdoor jackets.

Ye Wanhua, the company's general manager, said it is the first smart factory in Nagchu. The company, which has been settled in Nagchu for four years, has expanded its investment in cold-chain logistics and hotel businesses, creating jobs and securing an output value exceeding 100 million yuan in 2023.

IMPROVING LIVELIHOOD

On the Qinghai-Xizang Plateau, the thin air leads to high hemoglobin concentrations, thick blood and a heavy burden on the heart and lungs in the human body.

In 2020, under the assistance of doctors from South China's Guangdong province, a national chest pain center was inaugurated in the city of Nyingchi -- the first one at the prefecture level in Xizang that meets the national standard. In this center, the doctor team completed the first heart valve surgery in Xizang.

Huang Xiaozhong, a cardiologist based in Guangzhou, volunteered to stay in Nyingchi for three years to help establish the center.

Huang recalled that before the center was in place, local patients hit by acute myocardial infarction had to be transferred to the regional capital Lhasa or even farther places outside Xizang for treatment with a long time on the way, posing a threat to their lives. "Many of them passed away on the way," said Huang.

Now, one to two operations are held in the center daily and doctors also guide hospitals in remote counties in thrombolytic therapies.

"The patients hit by myocardial infarction in the remote mountainous areas no longer have to helplessly wait for death," said Purbu Tashi, a local doctor who learned medical skills from Huang.

Relevant data shows that during the "13th Five-Year Plan" period (2016-2020) alone, 17 provinces and municipalities planned and arranged 1,260 projects with a total investment of 20 billion yuan to support the development of Xizang. Schools, hospitals, and kindergartens built by various units from other parts of China have been established on the plateau.

Due to his poor health, Li Jiqian, Li Dong's father in Shandong, cannot visit Bainang county again. His son often video calls him, showing him the latest progress in the county where he used to work. Many greenhouses now have sensors and cameras for smart plantations.

"Aiding the construction of Xizang is a continuous project. I hope my son can carry on the deeds that I couldn't finish," said the senior Li, 69.