Xi stresses building up China's strength in agriculture at key rural work conference

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, attends and addresses the annual central rural work conference in Beijing, capital of China. The conference was held in Beijing from Dec. 23 to 24. [Xinhua/Rao Aimin]

BEIJING -- Chinese President Xi Jinping has called for enhanced efforts to build up China's strength in agriculture and do a good job in work on agriculture and rural areas.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks while addressing the annual central rural work conference held from Friday to Saturday in Beijing.

Advancing rural revitalization across the board and moving faster to build up China's strength in agriculture is part of the CPC Central Committee's strategic plans of building China into a great modern socialist country in all respects, Xi pointed out.

Xi called for full steam in pressing ahead with the work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers with rural revitalization as the focus, and vigorously promoting agricultural and rural modernization.

Li Keqiang presided over the conference, which was also attended by Li Qiang, Wang Huning, Han Zheng, Cai Qi and Ding Xuexiang.

In building up China's strength in agriculture, efforts should be made to reflect Chinese characteristics, and take into consideration China's national conditions, resource endowment featuring limited land for a huge population, the historical background of farming civilization, and the times' requirement of harmony between humanity and nature, Xi said.

China should take its own path instead of simply following the foreign models of modern agriculture development, Xi added.

Xi called for strengthening top-level design and developing plans to move faster to build up China's strength in agriculture, taking steady and incremental steps, and solving practical issues that are most urgent for agricultural and rural development, and of the most pressing concern to farmers.

It is always a priority to ensure a stable and secure supply of grain and key farm produce, Xi stressed, urging efforts to keep the country's farmland area above the red line of 1.8 billion mu (about 120 million hectares) and effectively revitalize the seed industry.

Xi said efforts should both be made to increase grain output and reduce losses, as well as to establish a diversified food supply system and expand food sources in multiple ways.

Advancing rural revitalization across the board is a crucial task for building up China's strength in agriculture in the new era, according to Xi. He demanded shifting manpower, material resources and fiscal support to rural revitalization, saying consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation is the bottom line task of rural revitalization.

Xi stressed the need to rely on both science and technology and reform to facilitate the work of strengthening China's agriculture. He called for efforts to establish a multi-level agricultural science and technology innovation system with sound division of labor and cooperation, and moderate competition.

Xi underscored deepening rural reform so that more fruits of reform could be shared by farmers.

It's necessary to remove institutional barriers that prevent the equal exchanges and two-way flows of production factors between urban and rural areas, and facilitate the flow of development factors as well as various services into rural areas, Xi said.

Xi stressed that modernization of rural areas is the intrinsic requirement and necessary condition for building up China's strength in agriculture, which entails the building of a beautiful and harmonious countryside that is desirable to live and work in.

He demanded faster development of public service facilities in fields like epidemic prevention, elderly care, education and medical care in rural areas. Efforts are needed for improvement in rural infrastructure, public services and living environment to ensure that residents in the countryside can lead modern lives, he said.

The Party's leadership must be upheld unswervingly in the work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, Xi said.

Presiding over the conference, Li Keqiang called for efforts to earnestly study Xi's important speech, and well implement decisions and plans made by central authorities.

In his concluding remarks at the conference, Hu Chunhua said Xi's important speech is a scientific guide and program of action for building up China's strength in agriculture, accelerating agricultural and rural modernization, and advancing rural revitalization across the board. He stressed COVID-19 prevention and control in the rural areas to protect rural residents' health and normal production and living orders.

The conference also discussed a draft guideline on the major tasks of advancing rural revitalization across the board in 2023.