Speakers:
Mr. Tang Renjian, director of the Office of the Leading Group for Rural Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, and minister of agriculture and rural affairs
Mr. Liu Huanxin, deputy director of the Office of the Leading Group for Rural Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and administrator of the National Rural Revitalization Administration
Mr. Wu Hongyao, deputy director of the Office of the Leading Group for Rural Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, and member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs
Chairperson:
Mr. Chen Wenjun, director general of the Press Bureau of the State Council Information Office (SCIO) and spokesperson of the SCIO
Date:
Feb. 14, 2023
Chen Wenjun:
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. Welcome to this press conference held by the State Council Information Office (SCIO). 2023 marks the first year of implementing the guiding principles of the 20th National Congress of the Communist Party of China (CPC). We will hold a series of themed press conferences, inviting leaders of relevant departments to introduce the ideas, measures, progress and achievements in implementing the guiding principles of the congress. We named the series “Embarking on the New Journey—A Government Perspective,” and we welcome your attention. Today, we are holding the first press conference in the series, to introduce and interpret the newly unveiled the "No. 1 central document" for 2023 as well as answer your questions. Present at the press conference are: Mr. Tang Renjian, director of the Office of the Leading Group for Rural Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, and minister of agriculture and rural affairs; Mr. Liu Huanxin, deputy director of the Office of the Leading Group for Rural Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and administrator of the National Rural Revitalization Administration; and Mr. Wu Hongyao, deputy director of the Office of the Leading Group for Rural Affairs of the CPC Central Committee, and member of the CPC Leadership Group of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs.
Now, I will give the floor to Mr. Tang Renjian.
Tang Renjian:
Ladies and gentlemen, good morning. With the arrival of spring, farmers are once again busy with work. On Feb. 13, Xinhua News Agency was authorized to issue the "Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Comprehensively Promoting the Key Work of Rural Revitalization in 2023," or the No. 1 central document for 2023. This is the 20th consecutive No. 1 central document released by China's central authorities to guide the work on agriculture, rural areas and rural residents since the beginning of this century. Through the document, the CPC Central Committee reiterated its commitment to the work on agriculture, rural areas and rural residents, sending a strong signal of prioritizing and boosting agriculture. Now, I would like to briefly introduce the document.
First, the background in drafting the document.
Over the past year, under the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, we have coordinated the COVID-19 response and agricultural and rural development, effectively addressed multiple challenges, kept the fundamentals of agriculture stable, and consolidated the “ballast” for the work on agriculture, rural areas and rural residents, thus providing a foundation for overall economic and social stability. First, China has secured another bumper harvest. The country's grain output totaled 1.3731 trillion jin (686.55 billion kg) in 2022, up 7.4 billion jin (3.7 billion kg) compared to the previous year and again setting a new high. The increase in the production capacity of soybeans and other oilseed crops exceeded projections. Hog production remained stable. The market supply and prices of meat, eggs, milk, fruit, vegetables and fish were stable throughout the year. Second, the gains in poverty alleviation have been further consolidated. The monitoring and assistance mechanism has been continuously improved, industrial and employment assistance has been strengthened, and the risks of returning to or falling into poverty have been effectively defused. We have maintained the bottom line of ensuring no large-scale return to poverty. Third, the incomes of farmers maintained steady growth. The per capita disposable income of rural residents surpassed the milestone of 20,000 yuan, reaching 20,133 yuan ($2,937), an increase of 4.2% in real terms, 1.2 and 2.3 percentage points higher than the growth rates of GDP and per capita disposable income of urban residents, respectively. Fourth, solid steps have been taken to promote priorities for rural revitalization. The development of rural industries has been boosted, initiatives to improve rural infrastructure have been launched, the level of rural governance has been continuously improved, the reform of rural areas has been advanced, and rural society has been stable and peaceful.
The 20th CPC National Congress drew up a grand blueprint for advancing the rejuvenation of the Chinese nation on all fronts through a Chinese path to modernization, and proposed for the first time moving faster to build up China’s strength in agriculture. At the annual central rural work conference held at the end of last year, General Secretary Xi Jinping, with the overall strategy of national development and rejuvenation in mind, systematically expounded a series of major theoretical and practical issues on moving faster to build up China’s strength in agriculture, promoting the modernization of agriculture and rural areas and advancing rural revitalization across the board, which provided fundamental principles and guidelines for drafting the No. 1 central document for 2023 and delivering a satisfactory performance in the work on agriculture, rural areas and rural residents on the new journey of the new era. General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized that a country must first strengthen agriculture to make itself strong, and only when agriculture is strong can the country be strong . He noted that the most challenging and arduous tasks we face in building a modern socialist China in all respects remain in our rural areas. He said that addressing the issues related to agriculture, rural areas and rural residents should have a central place in the work agenda of the Party , and we should mobilize efforts and resources across the Party and the society to advance rural revitalization across the board, accelerate the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, move faster to build up China’s strength in agriculture, and build a beautiful and harmonious countryside that is desirable to live and work in, so as to lay a solid foundation for building a modern socialist country in all respects.
Second, the main content of the document.
Implementing the guiding principles from General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches and following the arrangements and requirements of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, the document fully puts the guiding principles of the 20th CPC National Congress into action. It aims to expedite the efforts to build China's strength in agriculture. It focuses on rural revitalization, with eyes both on the present and future, and features conciseness, practicality, and innovation. The document centers closely on the benchmark issues and urgent matters involved in comprehensively promoting rural revitalization and specifies key tasks and policy measures in the field. It consists of nine sections and 33 items, and its main content can be summarized as completing basic tasks, advancing rural revitalization, and strengthening related support.
In terms of completing basic tasks, the document underlines the effort to ensure the nation's food security and that people do not sink back into poverty in large numbers. First, it stresses the need for stable production and adequate supplies of grains and other important agricultural products. It stresses that we must boost the construction of agricultural infrastructure and strengthen support for agricultural science, technology, and equipment, in a bid to ensure that the country's annual grain output remains over 650 million metric tons. Second, the document underscores the tasks of strengthening the internal growth momentum of areas and people that have shaken off poverty, stabilizing and improving supportive policies, and ensuring that people do not sink back into poverty in large numbers.
In terms of advancing rural revitalization, the document centers on the general requirements of this endeavor and stresses efforts to foster rural development, construction, governance and other significant issues. First, it stresses bolstering high-quality rural industries and developing new industries and business forms in rural areas. Second, it emphasizes boosting employment among rural residents and increasing their incomes, enhancing the efficiency of agricultural businesses, giving rural residents greater property rights and interests, and expanding channels for them to gain additional income. Third, in line with rural areas' goal to have basic access to modern lives, the document stresses building a beautiful countryside that people enjoy living and working in. Fourth, it emphasizes improving the rural governance system led by Party organizations and enhancing the efficiency of rural governance.
In terms of strengthening related support, the document stresses reinforcing organization and guidance. It emphasizes strengthening policy guarantees, institutional innovation, and the Party's leadership in all the work concerning agriculture and rural areas and residents.
In general, this year's document focuses on implementation and highlights the guiding role of the arrangements and the targeted nature of policy measures. It is not only a "to-do list" that specifies the priorities of our work this year but also a "handbook" that guides our efforts to comprehensively advance rural revitalization.
Next, my colleagues and I will take your questions.
