Region banks on benefits of education

Eliminating poverty in the Tibet autonomous region will be a long and arduous task, according to an official with the regional government.

The harsh natural environment and wide geographical spread of people living in poverty mean the scale of the problem should not be underestimated, said Lu Huadong, deputy head of the Tibet poverty alleviation office: "It would be impossible to accomplish the alleviation targets overnight, given the region's poor economic situation in the past."

Meanwhile, the lack of initiative shown by many residents has exacerbated the challenge the authorities face. "Some of them are living in the past. Their thoughts are not entirely suited to the age in which we live," Lu said.