Central rural work conference is held, Xi delivers important instructions on rural work

The Central Rural Work Conference was held in Beijing from December 17 to 18. Guided by Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, the conference thoroughly implemented the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC) as well as the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee. It also fully followed Xi’s important expositions and instructions on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and the guiding principles of the Central Economic Work Conference. At this conference, the current situation and challenges facing work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers were analyzed, and arrangements were made for work in this regard for 2025.

The CPC Central Committee attached great importance to the conference, before which the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee held a meeting and put forward clear requirements for making the conference a success and advancing work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers.

Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered important instructions on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers. Xi pointed out that China’s grain output has reached a new level in 2024, farmers’ incomes have steadily increased, and rural areas have been harmonious and stable, providing a solid foundation for promoting high-quality economic and social development.

To do a good job on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers in 2025, we must follow the guidance of the Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era, and fully implement the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress and the second and third plenary sessions of the 20th CPC Central Committee. We must also promote integrated urban-rural development, further deepen rural reform, improve the support system for strengthening agriculture, bringing benefits to farmers and increasing their incomes, and comprehensively promote rural revitalization. It is a must to never cross the red line when it comes to the protection of arable land, promote the development of high-standard farmland with high quality, strengthen support for agricultural science and technology and equipment, and ensure stable production and supply of grain and major agricultural products. It is imperative to actively develop rural industries for the benefits of villagers, raise overall agricultural returns, strengthen county economies, expand channels for farmers to increase their incomes, continue to consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation, and resolutely ensure that no large number of rural residents falling back into poverty. It is necessary to draw on the experience of the Green Rural Revival Program to steadily promote rural development, boost cultural development in rural areas, promote the transformation of outdated customs and habits, and build a beautiful and harmonious countryside for people to live and work in. It is necessary to strengthen the building of primary-level party organizations in rural areas, and improve the effectiveness of guiding community-level governance through Party-building.

Xi stressed that Party committees and governments at all levels should give priority to the development of agriculture and rural areas, consolidate the political responsibility of secretaries of CPC committees at five levels in advancing rural revitalization, fully mobilize the enthusiasm of Party members and officials as well as villagers, work hard with persistent efforts and accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, so as to consolidate further the foundation of agriculture, make rural areas and villagers' life more prosperous, and move towards the goal of building the country's strength in agriculture.

Xi's important instructions were delivered and studied at the conference, and the Guidelines of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council on Further Deepening Rural Reforms and Advancing All-Round Rural Revitalization (Draft) was discussed. Liu Guozhong, a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Chinese vice premier attended the conference and delivered a speech. 

It was noted at the conference that in his important instructions, Xi fully affirmed the progress made in work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers this year, put forward clear requirements for the work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers in 2025, and provided scientific guidance to this work from a strategic viewpoint and with a focus on key areas, which hold great political, ideological, guiding and pertinent significance. Efforts must be dedicated to studying and implementing Xi's important expositions and instructions on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers. These directives must be resolutely carried out with a strong sense of political consciousness and translated into concrete actions with practical circumstances considered.

It was noted at the conference that focus should be given to studying and applying the experience gained from the Green Rural Revival Program and advancing comprehensive rural revitalization. Efforts should be concentrated on accomplishing some major practical matters to enhance the economic performance of agriculture, infuse new impetus to the development of rural areas and increase farmers' incomes. It is imperative to safeguard and ensure national food security through continuously improving the supply of key agricultural products, such as grains. Actions include keeping the total grain acreage stable, increasing per unit yields of grain and oil crops on a large scale, enhancing the capacity to prevent and mitigate agricultural disasters, and ensuring stable and high grain production output. In addition, efforts must also be made to strengthen the protection of China's farmland and improve its quality. This includes strictly keeping a balance between the occupation of and replacement for the lost cultivated land, establishing a monitoring network for the use of cultivated land, and guaranteeing regulation of the capital security and projects quality in the construction of high-standard farmland.

It is essential to coordinate all strengths in agricultural science and technology to make breakthroughs, speed up promoting the application of scientific and technological advances, and develop new quality productive forces in agriculture according to local conditions. It is imperative to refine the supportive policies for grain production, and launch and implement the inter-provincial program under the coordination of the central government for major grain consumption areas to compensate major grain-production areas. It is essential to optimize the coordination mechanism between trade and production of agricultural products, and ensure that the prices of key agricultural products including grain remain at a reasonable range. It is imperative to build a diversified food supply system, ensure stable development of the livestock industry, and improve the long-term mechanisms for preventing the waste of grain and other types of food. It is essential to unswervingly consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation, improve the efficiency of monitoring and assistance mechanisms to prevent people from slipping back to poverty, and coordinate efforts to establish the mechanism preventing rural residents from lapsing or relapsing into poverty, and the system of multi-tiered and categorized support for low-income residents and underdeveloped areas. It is imperative to improve the quality and efficiency of rural industries, deliver good results in promoting local specialties, foster new industries and models, improve the mechanism for rural industries of all kinds to help villagers in different ways, and thus help increase their incomes.

It is essential to upgrade rural planning and development, keep up with the trends of population development, promote the integration of rural revitalization and new urbanization, coordinate urban and rural planning at the county level, extend endeavors for infrastructure construction to rural areas, improve basic public services there, continuously enhance rural living conditions, and strengthen rural ecological governance. Efforts must focus on refining rural governance systems, advancing Party building to drive rural revitalization, and tackling pointless formalities to alleviate burdens on primary level governments. It is imperative to launch the program to cultivate civilized rural customs, promote progress in rural culture and ethics in the new era and make efforts to change outdated social customs and habits. It is important to learn from and develop "Fengqiao Experience" in the new era, so as to identify and settle rural conflicts and disputes and maintain stability and harmony in rural areas. It is imperative to implement the task of comprehensively furthering rural reform, orderly advance the pilot program for villagers to contract their land for another 30 years after the second round of land contract expires. Effective models should be explored for villagers to make the best use of their idle rural housing through leasing, equity participation, or cooperative arrangements. Furthermore, financing mechanisms for rural revitalization should be innovated to unleash the potential and dynamism of initiatives in this regard.

The need was emphasized at the conference to strengthen the Party's overall leadership over work related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. It is essential to take profound and effective measures to promote the study and application of experience gained from the Green Rural Revival Program and to improve the long-term mechanism for advancing comprehensive rural revitalization. It is crucial to uphold the Party's mass line in the new era, take into consideration the realities of rural areas, respect the will of farmers, and give full play to their principal role in rural development. It is also imperative to improve approaches and work style, and encourage local explorations, reforms, and innovations, so as to continuously create new prospects for comprehensive rural revitalization.

The first plenary meeting was chaired by Wu Zhenglong, state councilor and secretary-general of the State Council.

Those who attended the conference included members of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, leading officials from provinces, autonomous regions, municipalities directly under the Central Government, municipalities specifically designated in the state plan, and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, along with leading officials from central Party and State departments. Also present at the conference were leaders of relevant people's organizations, financial institutions, and enterprises, and those from relevant departments of the Central Military Commission.