On October 9, 2023, a significant milestone was celebrated: the 20th anniversary of Shanghai’s support for the Diqing Tibetan Autonomous Prefecture in Yunnan Province. Over the past two decades, Shanghai has made substantial contributions in talent, funding, and technology, amounting to an impressive investment of 2.182 billion yuan.
At a recent press conference held by the Yunnan Provincial Government’s Information Office, themed “There is a Way of Life Called Yunnan: Everything is Good in Yunnan,” we discovered that education and healthcare have been key focus areas of Shanghai’s support for Diqing, leading to notable improvements in local services.
Diqing, located in the southeastern part of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is a crossroads for Yunnan, Sichuan, and Tibet, and stands as one of China’s ten Tibetan autonomous prefectures.
We had the opportunity to speak with Chen Lei, Deputy Secretary-General of the Diqing Prefectural Committee of the Communist Party of China and the head of the Shanghai Support Team for Diqing. He shared insights into the region’s earlier challenges in education and healthcare. “Shanghai has proactively addressed these issues by implementing infrastructure development and facilitating personnel exchanges,” Chen explained, highlighting that 480 projects have been initiated, primarily concentrating on these two sectors.
In education, for instance, the Shangri-La Middle School was established in 2007 with support from Shanghai. Fast forward to 2023, and the school has achieved first-class ordinary high school status within Yunnan, becoming Diqing’s first smart campus. Anticipating a successful junior high enrollment in 2024, it has evolved into a comprehensive institution offering both junior and senior high education. To bolster educational support, Shanghai has sent two principals and six teachers from the Yangpu District to assist. Locals have come to affectionately call this school the “Shanghai High School.”
On the healthcare side, Shanghai’s funding has significantly contributed to the construction of the Diqing People’s Hospital, which has been upgraded to a tertiary class-A comprehensive hospital. Additionally, support has been given for the overall relocation of the Diqing Tibetan Hospital and to enhance service capabilities at grassroots health facilities in the counties of Shangri-La, Weixi, and Deqin.
Over the years, Ruijin Hospital in Shanghai has sent 76 medical personnel across 15 teams to Diqing. The Diqing People’s Hospital has also dispatched 141 staff members for short-term specialized training in Shanghai, while 27 individuals are pursuing further studies and 9 are involved in concurrent training. This “bringing in and sending out” approach to medical talent has greatly enhanced healthcare services in the region.
Furthermore, Shanghai has invested in over 400 pieces of advanced medical equipment, including large C-arms and 80-slice spiral CT scanners, which have modernized the medical facilities in Diqing. The introduction of nine key specialties, such as emergency medicine, has been a game-changer, enabling remote diagnostics and standardized training. More than 30 new medical techniques and projects, including emergency PCI and intracranial tumor resection, have been successfully implemented, marking significant advancements in healthcare for the region.
