Chinese Premier stressed the importance of building new
socialist countryside on Tuesday.
"The issues concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers are
fundamental ones that have bearings on the overall China's
modernization drive," Wen said while meeting the press following
the concluding meeting of the 4th Session of the 10th National
People's Congress (NPC)
Building the new socialist countryside refers to putting
agriculture and rural areas "more prominently on the agenda of
China's modernization drive," Wen said.
Apart from completely rescinding agricultural taxes, China plans
to earmark 339.7 billion yuan (US$43 billion) for agriculture,
rural areas and farmers in 2006, 42.2 billion yuan more than last
year, according to Wen's work report at this year's NPC
session.
Wen said China need to implement a policy of getting industry to
support agriculture and cities to support the countryside,
strengthen support for agriculture, rural areas and farmers.
"This is a major fundamental step to be taken in the overall
modernization drive," Wen said.
Building the new socialist countryside should focus on
developing modern agriculture and improving the comprehensive
agriculture capacity.
In building new socialist countryside, democratic rights of the
farmers should be safeguarded, especially their rights on land
contracting and management, Wen said.
Wen also called for delivering "tangible interest to the
farmers" and targeting "practical results rather than
formalism."
Premier Wen's press conference was telecast live in the Great
Hall of the People in Beijing on Tuesday morning.
(Xinhua News Agency March 14, 2006)