People's Daily:

In recent years, the requirement for both Party and government leaders to take responsibility for food security has become more apparent. This year, the "No. 1 central document" of the CPC Central Committee outlined that a more rigorous appraisal of farmland protection and food security accountability should be applied among provincial-level Party committees and governments. How do you ensure that all local Party committees and governments fulfill the responsibility of food security through appraisals? Thank you.

Lu Jingbo:

Your question is very important. General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly stressed that local Party committees and governments at all levels should shoulder the political responsibility for food security, both Party and government leaders should bear responsibility for food security, and both provincial governors and secretaries should assume responsibility for the "rice bag." Strict measures should be taken to ensure that all local Party committees and governments bear responsibility for farmland conservation. Local governments should sign written pledges to the Party Central Committee on protecting farmland, and a strict appraising system and life-long accountability should be put in place to ensure the area of farmland remains above the redline of 120 million hectares. This year, the "No. 1 central document" of the CPC Central Committee has made further arrangements and plans for accountability-based appraisal on farmland conservation and food security among provincial-level Party committees and governments.

General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions and the strategic deployment of the CPC Central Committee have elevated the importance of agriculture and grain production to a record high. To ensure that both Party and government leaders assume responsibility for food security, relevant departments have studied and formulated institutional documents, while improving policy systems. They have specified that the NDRC, Ministry of Natural Resources, Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, and the NFSRA and other relevant departments should enhance the system of provincial governors assuming responsibility for food security. Additionally, these departments are required to conduct annual appraisals to assess the implementation of such responsibilities by provincial-level Party committees and governments.

At present, measures on the appraisal of farmland protection and food security accountability among provincial-level Party committees and governments have been released, focusing on the following four aspects:

First, we should emphasize responsibilities in more detail. In addition to assessing the specific responsibility for food security among governments, more specific political and leadership responsibilities will be taken among Party committees. This fully demonstrates the idea that "both Party and government leaders should take responsibility for coordination and cooperation."

Second, we should reinforce a systems-based approach. We will establish a connection between the appraisal of farmland protection and accountability for food security. This will facilitate coordinated support for multi-faceted links, ensuring a better integration and more effective linking for the productive factor combinations.

Third, we should emphasize the key areas of evaluation. In accordance with the general requirements of problem orientation and stringent appraisal, we will set well-conceived assessing indicators and weight the scores, set a one-vote veto on key issues such as farmland protection, grain production and planting structure adjustment, clarify the appraising "red line," and maintain the bottom line of safety.

Fourth, we should emphasize the importance of both incentives and constraints. Provinces and equivalent administrative units that have achieved remarkable results by implementing major innovative measures to protect farmland and ensure food security will receive appropriate rewards.

This year marks the first year of tests for provincial-level Party committees and governments on their work in farmland protection and food safety. For the next step, to ensure the effective implementation of decisions and deployments made by the CPC Central Committee and the State Council and the firm food supply for 1.4 billion Chinese people, we will adhere to the strategic deployments made at the 20th CPC National Congress, accelerate the arrangements of performance assessment, conduct performance evaluation in a strict manner, and consolidate the responsibilities of local Party committees and governments to protect farmland and ensure food safety in accordance with relevant regulations, and from a comprehensive perspective, to enhance the foundation of food safety. Thank you.

Shou Xiaoli:

Due to time constraints, the last two questions please.