Plan promotes rural construction

[Shi Yu/China Daily]

Infrastructure development is key to improving people's lives in countryside

China has released an action plan on rural construction, aiming to improve people's livelihoods in countryside areas and boost the nation's vitalization efforts.

The plan, jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, proposed boosting infrastructure construction while preventing unsuitable investment and development.

Construction projects will cover roads, water supply, energy, logistics, informatization, rural housing, comprehensive services and the living environment, with a goal to make notable progress by 2025.

Though China has made progress in improving rural infrastructure and public services, a gap remains between villagers' current living conditions and their dreams of a better life.

According to a circular released by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, one of the basic goals of rural construction is to improve grain production and living conditions in rural areas.

Though standards may vary from village to village, the focus of the projects is to ensure all villagers' basic needs are met and to solve key problems, the circular said.

China should implement projects to build digital villages and promote the deep integration of digital technologies with grain production and life in rural areas, according to the joint plan.

Some villages have been exploring digital techniques to improve rural governance. With the help of Xiaoshan city, Zhejiang province, Wangcang county in Sichuan province launched a digital village platform to facilitate government services, saving villagers' time.

"Rural construction includes not only infrastructure in rural areas, but also better rural governance, the sustainable development of rural industries and public services and the building of better rural societies," Li Xiaoyun, a chair professor at China Agricultural University, told Xinhua News Agency.

Rural construction should be farmer-oriented, the plan said.

Local authorities should motivate and guide farmers to participate in rural construction while protecting their rights, it said.

Farmers are the main drivers of rural production and life. The key to rural construction is to mobilize them and establish a bottom-up participation mechanism, an official with the leading group said.

Yu Fawen, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the greater involvement of villagers in construction projects, such as the renovation of rural toilets and greening the environment, will be the next focus.

Although sanitary toilets are now available in about 70 percent of China's rural areas, Yu said that without knowing the usage rate of these facilities, it's difficult to determine if they meet villagers' needs.

The plan stipulates that local authorities must not arbitrarily merge villages to create larger communities or carry out large-scale demolition and construction against farmers' wishes.

The official with the leading group said construction goals and tasks should be set in line with local economic development efforts and take into account local culture.

The plan said governments should protect traditional village dwellings and unique customs. Instead of builders copying urban construction models in their work, architectural styles with local characteristics are expected to be preserved, it added.

Great changes have been taking place in Qingxi village, Hunan province, as rural residents operate homestays and participate in the development of local tourism.

For example, a study area was renovated on the first floor of a resident's house and now features the works of Zhou Libo (1908-79), a novelist and translator who was born in the village.

The study, also a library and bookstore, provides villagers and visitors with a reading environment and a place to learn about the local culture. The dwelling combines rural literature appreciation with a homestay, while also promoting local tea products and intangible cultural heritage.

Yong Jinkun, a 90-year-old resident, said he never imagined the village would experience such big changes. The infrastructure has greatly improved compared with when he was a child, he said, citing the fact that all buildings are now equipped with air conditioners as an example.

"The rural environment has improved a lot, with better air and water quality," the senior said. "Life in the countryside is even better now because it is accompanied by singing birds and the scent of flowers."