Gangzha district in Nantong city, East China's Jiangsu province, has helped 31,954 residents from 45 villages across Ningqiang county, Hanzhong city in Northwest China's Shaanxi province, out of financial difficulties over the past 14 months.

The financial assistance is all thanks to a partnership signed between the two regions in October 2017, following a call by the national government for joint projects between Jiangsu and Shaanxi provinces. 

The partners have worked together on industrial development, financial support, government communications, professional and expert assistance, and labor services to help Ningqiang county boost its economy.

With the additional economic development, residents in the county have been able to enjoy improved living standards, with many of them now able to leave behind lives of grinding poverty. 

Currently, 15 villages and communities and 35 companies in Gangzha district have signed assistance agreements with villages in the county. 

And the district's assistance is clearly paying off.

The Ningqiang county government estimates suggest that the number of Ningqiang residents living below the poverty line will be cut to 3,747 by the end of this year.

Liu Hui, a resident in Yangpingguan village, sews clothes at a clothes factory in Ningqiang county, March 6. The factory was established by Nantong Dongrun Industrial Co based in Gangzha district for the purpose of promoting employment in Ningqiang county. Some 200 locals, many from poor families, have been employed at the factory and provided with financial support and accommodation. [Photo/people.com.cn]

Residents inoculate mushrooms at a mushroom-planting center in Erdaohe village, Ningqiang county, March 6. The center was financed by Gangzha district and received 1 million bags of edible mushrooms to get it started, as well as funding for infrastructure and support facilities. It has helped more than 100 households increase their income levels. [Photo/people.com.cn]