During the annual rural work conference held from 23-24 December 2022, Xi Jinping, Chinese President, general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission called for efforts to enhance agricultural strength as part of the CPCs plans to push China into becoming a great modern socialist country
A report published by Heart of Asia mentioned Jinping calling for efforts to build China's agricultural strength such that it reflected Chinese charecteristics, while also taking into consideration a number of factors including the country's national conditions, resource endowment featuring limited land for a huge population, historical background of farming civilisation and the requirement to maintain harmony with nature.
The Chinese President pointed out that moving up the development ladder would require taking steady and incremental steps, while prioritising issues that were of most concern to farmers. He also preferred China taking its own course rather than relying on foreign models of modern agricultural development. Moreover, he emphasised the importance of revitalising the seed industry and ensuring a steady supply of grain and key farm produce.
Other areas of discussion included deepening rural reform, speeding up the development of public service facilities, removing institutional barriers and facilitating the flow of development factors and services into rural areas. Above all, rural modernisation, he said, would require special focus since it was an intrinsic requirement for enhancing China's strength in agriculture.
Furthermore, a draft guideline highlighting the major tasks of advancing rural revitalisation across the board in 2023 was also discussed during the conference.
