Steps urged to take rural vitalization drive forward

President Xi Jinping has urged further deepening rural reform and stepping up the pace of agricultural modernization, in order to make the country stronger in agriculture, make rural areas more prosperous and make farmers' lives even better.

Xi, who is also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks in recent instructions on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, which were conveyed at the annual central rural work conference held in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday.

He said that in 2024, China secured a new record in grain output, ensured steady growth in farmers' incomes and maintained harmony and stability in rural areas, which provided foundational support for promoting high-quality socioeconomic development.

Xi laid out priorities for work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers in the next year, highlighting the need to uphold integrated urban-rural development, deepen rural reforms, and enhance systems for strengthening the agricultural sector, benefiting farmers and making rural areas continue to prosper, while comprehensively advancing rural vitalization.

He highlighted the importance of ensuring the stable production and supply of grains and essential agricultural products, saying that the arable land "red line" has to be upheld.

China has vowed to keep the total area of arable land above the red line of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares).

Xi called for strengthening the development of high-standard farmland while reinforcing the support of agricultural technology and equipment.

It is important to actively develop industries to help farmers increase their incomes, comprehensively improve agricultural efficiency, and boost county-level economies, he said.

While emphasizing the need to broaden channels to get farmers' wallets fuller, Xi urged efforts to consolidate the achievements in poverty alleviation, and forestall any large-scale relapse into poverty.

Xi also called for learning from the experience of the Green Rural Revival Program to promote rural development, enhance rural cultural prosperity and build livable, business-friendly and beautiful countryside.

The Green Rural Revival Program refers to an initiative proposed by Xi in 2003, when he worked as secretary of the CPC Zhejiang Provincial Committee, to improve the environment and raise living standards in rural areas.

A draft version of the guidelines of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, China's Cabinet, on further deepening rural reform and advancing rural vitalization was discussed at the rural work conference.

The meeting's participants stressed the importance of learning from and applying the experiences of the Green Rural Revival Program in comprehensively advancing rural vitalization, and called for all-out efforts to enhance agricultural efficiency, rural vitality and farmers' incomes through various means.

It is crucial to ensure the nation's food security, continuously strengthen the supply of staple foods and other essential agricultural products, keep the total grain acreage stable, and ensure stable and abundant grain production, they said.

It was also highlighted at the meeting that the task of further deepening rural reforms must be comprehensively carried out, and the pilot program to extend a second round of rural land contracting for another 30 years after expiration should be advanced in an orderly manner.