Chinese experts help Myanmar villages fight poverty

KUNMING -- Chinese experts have made progress in helping impoverished villages in Myanmar fight against poverty, according to the joint office of the China-Myanmar poverty reduction demonstration project.

Since 2018, three groups of Chinese experts have been sent to two villages in different townships of Myanmar under the project. These projects are aimed to help improve local infrastructure and increase residents' income.

The third batch of five Chinese experts left for Myanmar on Aug 19. The group initially planned to travel to Myanmar in February, but due to the COVID-19 epidemic, the visit was postponed.

Chinese experts have helped locals build drinking water facilities and improve transport and medical conditions. In the villages of Aye Chan Thar and Min Pyin, the villagers had suffered from lithiasis due to the lack of safe drinking water. The experts helped them build a water diversion project from a reservoir three kilometers away, bringing clean and safe tap water to all the 1,282 households in the villages.

The experts promoted new farming practices and improved varieties of rice, peanut and sesame in the villages. They also trained villagers in animal farming, as well as vegetables and fruit growing.

The capabilities of participants at different levels and villagers have been significantly improved through the project, said Yao Qian, director of the joint office.

Based on China's experience in poverty alleviation, the demonstration projects have carried out targeted aid, helped improve living and production conditions and enhanced the development capabilities of locals, Yao said.