A primary school sponsored by Macao in Congjiang county. [Photo/ddcpc.cn]

Congjiang county in Southwest China's Guizhou province is one of the impoverished counties in China, with a total population of 370,000, 95 percent of which are from different ethnic groups. By the end of 2018, 47,800 people were impoverished, with the county's poverty incidence rate reaching 14.77 percent.

In May 2018, Macao Special Administrative Region signed an agreement with Guizhou to support its poverty alleviation efforts, especially in the areas of education, medical treatment, industry, tourism, and talent cultivation.

Taking education as the top priority, Macao invested 30 million yuan ($4.28 million) and built a primary school in Congjiang's Dadai village. It is equipped with teaching buildings, dormitories, and a canteen, benefiting 566 students in the village.

In addition, Meie Primary School in Gantuan village has also been put into use. To date, the school has 16 classrooms with 162 students. The number of students will exceed 600 after impoverished people are relocated to the village from poverty-stricken areas.

Macao has also invited experts to provide training for Conjiang's education workers to improve the teaching and management level. To date, over 500 educational workers have received training sessions on English teaching and school management.

To provide convenience for people living deep in the mountains, Macao helped to build 23 village-level clinics, which were put into use this October. Macao also donated seven ambulances to seven towns and townships.

The second batch of cooperation agreements have been signed between Guizhou and Macao to further the poverty alleviation efforts, helping Guizhou build a moderately prosperous society in all respects.