A central work meeting on rural development, which concluded in
Beijing on Thursday, has set the targets for building a new
socialist countryside in China during the upcoming 11th Five-Year
Guideline period (2006-2010).
During the two-day conference, which was attended by Chinese
Premier Wen
Jiabao and Vice Premier Huang Ju,
the participants reached a common ground on the development of
agriculture and rural areas in the next five years, as well as on
how to stabilize grain production and promote the sustained
increase of farmers' income.
The conference stressed that the development of agriculture and
rural areas is of great significance due to China's national
conditions.
"Only when the problems relating to agriculture, rural areas and
the farmers have been solved properly, can China's economy develop
in the correct direction," said a document from the conference.
The task of building a new socialist countryside, which was put
forward at the Fifth Plenum of the 16th CPC (Communist Party of
China) Central Committee in October, is of great historic
importance, said the document.
"It is an important historical mission China must accomplish on
its road toward modernization," it said. "This should become a
common understanding of the entire party and the whole
society."
"To realize the goal, the Party's policies concerning the rural
areas must be earnestly implemented," it said. "The principle of
giving (rural areas) more and taking less (from the rural areas)
must be fully implemented to promote the development of the rural
areas in an all-around manner."
It noted that the development of agriculture and the rural areas
has always been a difficult task and a top priority for China,
which is striving to build a generally affluent society and
accelerate the modernization process.
The conference pointed out that China has made progress in
enhancing agricultural productivity and improving the farmers'
livelihood over the past years, thanks to the efforts of
governments at all levels across the country.
However, it also pointed out that building a new socialist
countryside is an overall goal and a long-term task, which should
be pursued according to the actual situation of different places
and the true will of the farmers.
"The campaign should focus on solving the real problems faced by
the farmers in production and life, and should benefit the farmers
and win their hearty support," the conference document
cautioned.
(Xinhua News Agency December 30, 2005)
