A delegation of diplomats from some European Union (EU) member states visited northwest China's Gansu Province on Thursday, inspecting the implementation of a China-EU elementary education program.

The program was launched in Gansu in 2001 to assist with elementary education in the local poor area. The total fund of the program, including 15 million euros from the EU and two million euros from China, will have been made available for 41 poor counties of Gansu by the end of 2006.

The EU fund was used up last year and now the Chinese fund is being put into use.

The diplomats spoke highly of the program, saying that the Chinese fund has been used to good effect.

During their stay, the diplomats visited a local teacher training center at Huining county in central Gansu Province. The center was founded in 2003 as a part of the implementation of the China-EU program.

In the past two years or more, about 200 teachers get training in the center, and local education quality was improved a lot, according to an official in charge of the training center.

Source: Xinhua