BEIJING -- More than 600 Chinese officials from about 120 central departments and organizations on Tuesday arrived in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region, to commence their three-year assistance mission in the westernmost area of the country.

The talent aid team, the 11th batch since 1997, is organized by the Organization Department of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security.

With an average age of 43 years, 73.1 percent of the dispatched officials hold master's degrees or higher, and 60 percent of them are professionals in technical fields or enterprise management.

Their mission involves providing support to address specific needs in the sectors of education, medical care, politics and law, science and technology, and culture and tourism.

Since its inception in 1997, the personnel assistance program has seen over 20,000 individuals working in Xinjiang and contributing to its development.