Nanfang Daily, Nanfang Plus:

In recent years, Sichuan has focused on addressing the issue of unbalanced urban and rural development by using counties as the key entry point for promoting integrated urban-rural development. Could you brief us on the latest progress? Thank you.

Dai Yongbo:

Thank you for your question. Sichuan has a distinct urban-rural dual structure. To promote integrated urban-rural development, we have placed emphasis on the counties and recognized the difficulties in rural areas. We have established the targeted approach of "focusing on both ends while ensuring smooth connectivity in the middle," using the county level as a pivotal entry point to foster urban-rural integration, drawing a new picture of shared prosperity across our urban and rural landscapes.

The idea of "focusing on both ends" refers to building up counties, which serve as the gateway for farmers moving to urban areas. Data from the seventh national census in 2020 showed that the proportion of the population residing in Sichuan's county towns has continued to increase over the past decade, rising from 15% to 30%. In light of this trend, Sichuan has in recent years delegated financial and administrative powers to the county level to improve the functionality of counties and attract more people and industries to settle there. The "other end" refers to developing rural areas. Even if Sichuan's urbanization rate reaches 70% in the future, there will still be 25 million people living in rural areas. We have learned from and applied the experience of the Green Rural Revival Program in Zhejiang province, establishing 1,000 demonstration villages every year and speeding up the construction of beautiful villages with the charm of Bashu. For instance, in Chengdu, there is a bamboo art village, boasting an intangible cultural heritage of more than 2,000 years in bamboo weaving. In transforming the village, we paid special attention to integrating bamboo products, architecture, and landscapes, creating a unique attraction that becomes a favored leisure spot among Chengdu residents.

The concept of "ensuring smooth connectivity in the middle" is about linking towns and villages, with a focus on achieving "four integrations." The first is the integration of resources, which involves opening the "city gates" to allow the rural population to "enter and stay," ensuring they have access to better services. It also includes supporting professionals from all walks of life to contribute to rural revitalization. The second is industrial integration. We have encouraged deeper integration of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries, promoted the intensive processing of agricultural products, and fostered leisure and sight-seeing agriculture. The third is the integration of facilities. We have made efforts to narrow the gap in infrastructure and public services between urban and rural areas, ensuring they are more accessible in rural areas. The fourth is the integration of governance, where efficient governance drives high-level integration. Thank you.