President Hu Jintao
on Tuesday called on provincial and ministerial heads to take
concrete steps towards boosting rural development.
"Building a new socialist countryside is a major historic
mission set by our Party," Hu, who is also the general secretary of
the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, told a
seminar.
He asked all CPC members and the nation to work together to make
the drive "a project for the people" that truly benefits China's
farmers.
Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the
CPC Central Committee (the Standing Committee) Wu Bangguo, Wen
Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan also
attended the opening ceremony of the seminar chaired by Zeng
Qinghong, who is a member of the Standing Committee, China's vice
president, and president of the Party School of the CPC Central
Committee.
Hu said that in building a well-off society in an all-round way,
the most arduous tasks are in the countryside. To accelerate
China's modernization, it is imperative that it properly handles
the relationships between industry and agriculture, and between
urban and rural areas.
Hu defined the major tasks for building a new socialist
countryside for now and over the next few years as follows:
-- Comprehensively strengthen the productive forces of the
countryside.
-- Make "increasing farmers' income" a central task.
-- Boost grassroots democracy in the countryside and improve
transparency in village affairs.
-- Boost spiritual civilization and accelerate the development
of education and culture in rural areas to cultivate "new type"
farmers.
-- Boost harmony, caring for the lives of farmers, improving
health and strengthening social administration in the
countryside.
-- Push forward reform in various fields to enhance the vitality
of agricultural and rural development.
Hu called on Party committees and governments at all levels to
start with "matters that farmers care the most about and are most
anxious to address, and matters that will produce effects most
easily", at the same time bringing constant concrete benefits to
farmers.
He asked all cadres to care about the sufferings of the farmers,
respect their wishes, safeguard their interests and enhance their
well-being.
The seminar, held at the Party School of the CPC Central
Committee, was attended by the heads of provinces, ministries and
other organizations.
(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2006)