Zheng Shanjie (right), Party chief of Ningbo, meets a visiting government delegation headed by Jin Shouhao, governor of Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, in Northeast China's Jilin province on Nov 18. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn]

Zheng Shanjie, Party chief of Ningbo, met a visiting government delegation headed by Jin Shouhao, governor of Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture, in Northeast China's Jilin province on Nov 18.

Ningbo was paired with Yanbian under the "pairing assistance" program launched by the central government in 1995, which sees more prosperous provinces and municipalities in East China lend support to underdeveloped regions of the country.

Zheng noted that Ningbo and Yanbian have a long history of friendly exchange and pledged to ramp up support for Yanbian in tackling poverty and expanding bilateral cooperation.

Jin Shouhao commended Ningbo's efforts to help Yanbian alleviate poverty and said that the two areas should strengthen cooperation in maritime economy.

Yanbian is rich in maritime resources, while Ningbo is a rapidly industrializing city and home to an abundance of skilled workers, technology, and capital, Jin said.