Yes, more education is not a problem.
source: Insurgency and Social Disorder in Guizhou -- R. D. Jenkins
...
You neglected the facts about overall geography of the landscape, which has been noted above. Not once did anyone deny what present day technology and advancement has been able to accomplish in terms of GPD in that region. That said, without the terraces and technological aide, one can easily say Guizhou and its surrounding countryside is nothing but wasteland. Let us also not forget the "fact" that ALL if not most of the fertile land and prosperity in China clearly is towards the East; Souteast to be exact -- definitely not the West. As a matter of fact, it is well known that the Western frontier of China, Guizhou and its countryside, are the most undeveloped and least modernized area -- the poorest regions of China. That's a no brainer, and as to why etc. -- that's also a given.
Ua tsaug ...
Lemme get this straight...you
r source, a book about politics in the region, describes some aspects of the region that are not suitable for agriculture and you conclude that the whole Yunnan-Guizhou corridor is 'not suitable for agriculture -- very little soil' and a 'wasteland'?
Even after seeing agricultural production that comes from this 'wasteland': 2nd in the country in tobacco production, tea, vegetables, fruits, corn, rice, tubers, rapeseed, one of the leading producer of chinese medicine, etc..., you're still going to insist on your stance that was based off a statement in a political history book? OK, that makes complete sense...
"You neglected the facts about overall geography of the landscape, which has been noted above." You neglect the obvious agricultural production. Here's more numbers for your consideration:
http://www.ers.usda.gov/data-products/china-agricultural-and-economic-data/national-and-provincial-data.aspx2009 production
Apples: Guizhou 32,360,000 lbs / Yunnan 538,580,000 lbs
Corn: Guizhou 8,104,000,000 lbs / Yunnan 10,853,400,000 lbs
Grains: Guizhou 23,365,400,000 lbs / Yunnan 31,538,400,000 lbs
Grapes: Guizhou 83,460,000 lbs / Yunnan 334,180,000 lbs
Peanuts: Guizhou 146,280,000 lbs / Yunnan 142,620,000 lbs
Pears: Guizhou 335,440,000 lbs / Yunnan 557,360,000 lbs
Rapeseed: Guizhou 1,407,980,000 lbs / Yunnan 828,260,000 lbs
Rice: Guizhou 9,063,400,000 lbs / Yunnan 12,724,600,000 lbs
Soybean: Guizhou 317,400,000 lbs / Yunnan 581,200,000 lbs
Tubers: Guizhou 4,176,800,000 lbs / Yunnan 3,443,600,000 lbs
Vegetables: Guizhou 21,589,000,000 lbs / Yunnan 24,764,880,000 lbs
Wheat: Guizhou 890,400,000 lbs / Yunnan 1,846,000,000 lbs
Don't know what your point is about the central plains cause they will obviously be more fertile and productive and won't need terracing. The point of this debate was the fertility between two mountainous regions. Quite clearly, the numbers (population and agricultural) does not support your claims of this region as a non-productive 'wasteland'.
Ua tsaug.