A workshop operated by Yanbian Guotai New Energy Auto Co Ltd and funded by Ningbo Shanshan Co Ltd. [Photo/cnnb.com.cn] 

Industrial cooperation has proved to be an effective way for Ningbo to support Yanbian in tackling poverty.

Ningbo in East China's Zhejiang province was paired with Yanbian Korean autonomous prefecture in Northeast China's Jilin province in 2016 under the "pairing assistance" program launched by the central government, which sees more prosperous provinces and municipalities in East China lend support to underdeveloped regions of the country. 

To date, Ningbo's industrial investment in Yanbian has reached 3.7 billion yuan ($536.2 million), covering sectors such as agriculture, equipment manufacturing, clothing, and modern services, according to Lou Guowen, an official from Ningbo responsible for the poverty alleviation work in Yanbian. 

Ningbo is home to an abundance of capital, technology and skilled workers, while Yanbian has a large workforce, strong market and abundant resources, according to Lou. 

The introduction of geese to Yanbian typifies the cooperative relations between the two. 

In 2018, a flock of white geese from Xiangshan county in Ningbo was introduced to Yanbian. 

Yanbian's congenial temperature, which is cooler than Ningbo in the summer, allows geese to lay eggs earlier, which have bolstered the off-season supply of goose eggs in Ningbo, revealed Wu Xiao, deputy head of the poverty alleviation office of Longjing, a county-level city in Yanbian.

The relatively low corn price in Northeast China reduces the breeding cost of geese in Yanbian compared to Ningbo, and the goose eggs are also bigger than those from Ningbo, according to Wu.

Wang You, a farmer from Tongfo village, Laotougou town, Longjing city, said that he raised 500 geese last year and earned more than 10,000 yuan, far more than he expected, and this year he raised another 4,000 geese. 

Yanbian Guotai New Energy Auto Co Ltd, which receives investment from Ningbo Shanshan Co Ltd, acquired qualification to produce pure electric commercial vehicles in February.

Gai Zhonghua, deputy head of marketing at Guotai, estimated that the company's annual revenue could reach 5.6 billion yuan at full production capacity, making it the second largest new energy vehicle producer in Jilin province.

He pointed out that Yanbian's solid industrial foundation and promising new energy vehicle prospects are the reason why Shanshan chose the city.

In addition to industrial cooperation, the two parties have also strengthened transportation connectivity. 

Goods including coal and seafood from Hunchun, a city in eastern Yanbian, are first transported to Zarubino Port in Russia by rail and then loaded onto ships bound for Ningbo Zhoushan Port