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Speakers:

Deng Xiaogang, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs

Hong Tianyun, deputy administrator of the National Rural Revitalization Administration

Zeng Yande, chief agronomist of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA) and director general of the Department of Development and Planning of MARA

Chairperson:

Xing Huina, spokesperson of the Publicity Department of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC)

Date:

June 27, 2022

Xing Huina:

Friends from the media, good afternoon. Welcome to this press conference held by the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. This is the 11th press conference under the theme of "China in the past decade," and we will brief you on China's rural revitalization in the new era and take your questions. Joining us today are Mr. Deng Xiaogang, vice minister of agriculture and rural affairs; Mr. Hong Tianyun, deputy administrator of the National Rural Revitalization Administration; and Mr. Zeng Yande, chief agronomist of the MARA and director general of the Department of Development and Planning of MARA.

Now, I'll give the floor to Mr. Deng Xiaogang for his brief introduction.

Deng Xiaogang:

Ladies and gentlemen, friends from the media, good afternoon. Thank you for your consistent interest in and support for the affairs related to agriculture, rural areas and rural residents. It's my pleasure to attend this press conference. I'll start by briefly introducing the development of agriculture and rural areas in the past decade.

Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has been centering its efforts on the overall development of the Party and the nation, focusing on achieving the two centenary goals and working to prioritize affairs related to agriculture, rural areas and rural residents. We won the battle against poverty, eradicated absolute poverty, implemented a rural revitalization strategy and made historic achievements and reforms regarding agricultural and rural areas. All of these have provided significant support to making new advancements on all fronts for the cause of the Party and the country.

First, the supply of grain and other major agricultural products remains stable, which provides an increasingly stronger foundation for safeguarding the nation's food security. Ensuring the effective supply of grain and other major agricultural products is the top priority of affairs related to agriculture, rural areas and rural residents. By thoroughly implementing the food crop production strategy based on farmland management and technological application, we have managed to ensure the food supply for the Chinese people. Grain production capacity has increased steadily, with grain output exceeding 1.3 trillion jin (about 650 billion kilograms) for seven consecutive years and reaching another 100-billion-jin threshold in the past decade. The grain output in 2021 hit a record high of around 1.37 trillion jin, and the per capita share of grain reached 483 kilograms, which is above the international food security threshold of 400 kilograms. As a result, we have achieved basic self-sufficiency in cereal grains and absolute grain security. The variety of agricultural products has been diversified. The production of cotton, oilseed, sugar crops and natural rubber have seen stable development, and the supply of meat, eggs, milk, aquatic products, fruit, vegetables and tea is sufficient. The quality of agricultural products continues to improve and be upgraded. More than 97% of agricultural products have met the quality and safety standards during routine monitoring, and a growing number of green and high-quality agricultural products can be found in ordinary Chinese households.

Second, we have secured a complete victory in the fight against poverty, which is a historic achievement. Based on the current standard, all 98.99 million impoverished rural residents have shaken off poverty, and all 832 impoverished counties and 128,000 villages have been removed from the poverty list. With regional poverty being eliminated, we have embarked on a path of poverty alleviation with Chinese characteristics. First, the living standards of people who have been lifted out of poverty have seen remarkable improvements. All of them have adequate food and clothing and enjoy strong support including compulsory education, basic medical care, safe housing and safe drinking water. Second, the once-impoverished regions now have stronger development capacity. Every county that has shaken off poverty has created two or three leading industries with distinctive features and greater capacity to facilitate poverty alleviation efforts. Problems related to transportation, electricity supply and telecommunication services have been solved. Third, achievements in poverty alleviation have been continuously consolidated. We have introduced 33 policies for the transition period after poverty alleviation and established monitoring and assistance mechanisms to prevent people from slipping back into poverty. We have also designated 160 key counties to receive assistance in pursuing rural revitalization and are offering them more support, and managed to ensure that people do not return to impoverishment in large numbers.

Third, agricultural technologies and machinery have seen remarkable advancements, and the modernization of agriculture has been raised to a new level. To develop modern agriculture to its full potential, we have been working to transform the agricultural sector so that it can be less reliant on natural resources and more driven by innovation. There are three sets of figures that speak volumes of our achievements. First, more than 54% of cropland is effectively irrigated. A total of 900 million mu (60 million hectares) of high-standard cropland has been added, with a group of modernized irrigation facilities put in place. This has mitigated the impact of weather conditions on agricultural production. Second, advances in agricultural science and technology have contributed to 61% of agricultural production. We have built 50 modern agrotechnology systems at the national level and set up 47 national laboratories as well as 100 agriculture-related scientific observation and experiment stations. A series of landmark achievements have emerged, such as drought-resistant and water-efficient wheat, super-hybrid rice and white-feathered broiler products. More than 95% of agricultural germplasm resources are self-sufficient. These achievements show that science and technology have become the most important drivers behind the growth of agriculture and the rural economy. Third, the overall level of mechanization in plowing, sowing and harvesting has exceeded 72%, and for wheat production has exceeded 97%, realizing mechanization in almost the entire wheat production process. The level of mechanization in livestock and aquaculture farming and facility agriculture (agriculture making extensive use of polytents and similar equipment) have also seen relatively large improvements.

Fourth, rural revitalization got off to a good start, and rural areas are taking on a fresh look. Rural industries have been experiencing a boom, and accelerated transformation and upgrading have been witnessed in sectors regarding the processing and circulation of agricultural products. New business models such as leisure tourism and livestreaming e-commerce continue to emerge. Thus, a group of modern agricultural industrial parks has been established. Rural living environments have seen remarkable improvement, with more than 70% of rural households now having access to sanitary toilets, and remarkable progress being seen in the treatment of domestic waste and sewage. The countryside thereby looks generally clean, tidy, and orderly. Infrastructure in rural areas has been improved and upgraded, with more projects and facilities being constructed in terms of water and electricity supply, transportation, broadband, schools, and hospitals. The improvement of people's well-being has achieved new progress. Stepped-up efforts have been made to promote rural areas with sound governance. The rural governance model based on self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue, is improving. Primary-level Party organizations in rural communities are playing a more crucial role, and cultural and ethical progress in rural areas has been witnessed. Moreover, continued efforts have been made to update outmoded and undesirable habits and customs. Thus, rural governance has been more efficient.

Fifth, all-around rural reforms have been deepened, and development in rural areas has become a new driver of growth. Deepened reform is the most important means to advance all-around rural revitalization, and a system framework and relevant policies to promote rural revitalization have basically been established. First, improvement has been witnessed in the working system and mechanism which ensure the Party's leadership over issues relating to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. The CPC Central Committee has issued a set of regulations for the rural work, and a law on the promotion of rural revitalization has also been adopted, thus establishing a working mechanism under which central government is responsible for overall planning, provincial-level governments assume overall responsibility, and city and county governments are responsible for program implementation, and the Party secretaries at the five administrative levels of province, city, county, township and village are responsible for rural revitalization. Second, major reforms have been advanced in a steady manner. In order to ensure issues related to farmers' land are handled properly, we have advanced system reforms to separate ownership rights, contract rights, and use rights for contracted rural land, as well as reforms to the rural collective property rights system and the system of land use for rural housing. A series of mature systems thereby have been established, which will tackle fundamental problems and deliver long-term benefits. Third, a basic mechanism for integrated urban-rural development has been established. Rural residents are now covered by basic pension schemes, and a unified basic medical insurance system for urban and rural residents has been established. In 2021, the per capita disposable income for rural residents was 18,931 yuan, more than twice that of 2012, with their working conditions and living standards being greatly improved. 

These achievements are attributed to the strong leadership of the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core, and the direction set by General Secretary Xi Jinping has been the most crucial factor. He has always used the method of seeing history from a broader perspective when it comes to the issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers, therefore he has personally planned, deployed, and promoted the important work regarding issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. He has proposed a series of important new thoughts and propositions from a political, strategic, and comprehensive perspective and provided theoretical and practical answers to a series of questions. This has thus offered a program of action and fundamental guidelines for work regarding issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers in the new era. We will earnestly study and put into practice the important remarks made by General Secretary Xi Jinping on the issues related to agriculture, rural areas, and farmers and advance all-around rural revitalization to promote the efficiency and quality of the agricultural sector, make rural areas suitable to live and work in, and ensure that farmers are affluent and well-off.

Now my colleagues and I are ready to take questions. 

Xing Huina:

Thank you. Now the floor is open for questions. Please identify your media outlet before raising your questions. 

Xinhua News Agency:

Food security has always been a matter of concern for the whole society. General Secretary Xi Jinping proposed to implement a new food security strategy at the central rural work conference in 2013. What new measures have been adopted over the past 10 years to ensure the food supply through our own efforts? Thank you. 

Deng Xiaogang:

Thank you for your question. It has always been a top priority in state governance to ensure enough food to feed China's 1.4 billion population. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to food security, establishing a national strategy on food security and introducing a new vision on food security. General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out on many occasions that food security is among a country's most fundamental interests. He has given important instructions on this issue, charting the course and providing fundamental guidelines for China's efforts to ensure food security.

Over the past 10 years, all localities and departments have implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council; placed ensuring an effective supply of grain and other important farm products as a priority in their work concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers; and have enhanced policy support, and stepped up efforts to consolidate and improve grain production capacity, thus securing food supply for the Chinese people. Our work has mainly followed three "two-pronged approaches."

First, implementing the two-pronged grain production strategy based on farmland management and technological application. We have focused our work on access to arable land and seeds so as to lay a solid foundation for grain production. On the one hand, the agricultural infrastructure, high-standard farmland in particular, has been greatly improved. We have ensured the area of farmland remains above the redline of 120 million hectares; confirmed the establishment of functional zones for grain production and protected areas for the production of major agricultural products, totaling 70.53 million hectares, in specific provinces, counties, or even land plots; constructed 60 million hectares of high-standard farmland; advanced farmland irrigation and water conservation facilities; and launched the project of conserving the black soil, which is dubbed the "giant panda" in arable land. On the other hand, the agricultural science and technology innovation capacity, with focus on the breeding of superior crop varieties, has also been greatly improved. We have bred and applied a batch of new varieties with breakthroughs, featuring high yield, high quality, resilience to many diseases and insects, and wide adaptability to different growing environments. We have basically realized full coverage of superior crop varieties across the country. We also stepped up efforts to build three national seed cultivation and production centers, as well as 216 seed production counties and regional centers for cultivating superior crop varieties. The country's independently cultivated varieties now account for more than 95% of the total crop planting area, making it a reality that Chinese crops are planted mainly with Chinese seeds. 

Second, working to keep farmers and local governments motivated. We have built a mechanism to ensure farmers enjoy benefits from growing grains and local governments fulfill their obligation in grain production. On the one hand, we have enhanced the work to guarantee the earnings of grain growers; steadily raised the minimum purchase prices of rice and wheat; improved the subsidy policies for rice, corn, and soybean growers; and realized full coverage of full cost insurance and planting income insurance for three staple crops (rice, wheat, and corn) in major production provinces and counties. We have stabilized expectations through pricing support, guaranteed costs by income subsidies, lowered risks through the expansion of insurance coverage, and increased income through operating services, thus enabling grain growers to have profits and earn more money. Especially in recent two years, with regards to rising grain-growing costs caused by increasing prices of agricultural supplies, the central authorities have issued one-time subsidies to grain growers three times, all totaling 50 billion yuan. On the other hand, we have implemented the policy that the Party and the government hold the same responsibilities for guaranteeing food security. We have formulated related regulations and performance evaluation measures, and clarified the responsibilities of local Party committees and governments on food security. At the same time, we have assigned the targets and tasks of annual grain production to each province and promoted the main grain-producing areas, main grain marketing areas, and areas with balanced grain production and marketing to share responsibilities and obligations. 

Third, advancing commercial services for farmers and the mechanization of grain production. This two-pronged approach aims to improve the grain operation efficiency and lower grain production costs. To promote commercial services, we have accelerated the building of a convenient and efficient system of commercial services featuring multiple parties and complementary functions; and advanced unified prevention and control for crop diseases and pests, agent plowing, planting, harvesting, and storage; allowed farmers to have access to advanced and appropriate varieties, technologies, equipment, and organization forms; and cultivated more than 950,000 commercialized agriculture organizations, with services covering 113.33 million hectares of farmland and over 78 million farming households. To promote the mechanization of grain production, we have focused our work on improving the whole-process mechanization of grain production and making breakthroughs on weak links like mechanized transplanting and the throwing of rice seedlings. The comprehensive mechanization rates of crop plowing, planting, and harvesting for three major crops - wheat, corn, and rice - have exceeded 97%, 90%, and 85%, respectively. Agricultural machinery has contributed remarkably to grain yield increase. 

In the next phase, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs will implement the instructions of General Secretary Xi Jinping, follow the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, and increase input and support to step up grain production capacity. We will ensure stable production and sufficient supply domestically amid uncertainties in the external environment, so that the country's food security always rest in our own hands. This year, under the firm leadership of the CPC Central Committee and through efforts from all sectors of society, we have secured a bumper harvest of summer wheat, laying a solid foundation for a bumper harvest throughout the year. Thank you.

Sannongfabu.ntv.cn:

The rural revitalization strategy was put forward at the 19th CPC National Congress. What major progress has been made during the implementation? Are there any good practices in advancing it? Thank you. 

Zeng Yande:

Thanks for your questions. Implementing the rural revitalization strategy is a significant arrangement made at the 19th CPC National Congress. Over the past five years, General Secretary Xi Jinping has deployed and promoted the strategy personally, made a series of important propositions and instructions, and explained a host of major theoretical and practical issues. He has taken the lead and steered the strategy in the right direction. The central authorities have issued five "No. 1 central documents" successively, laying out specific plans for implementing the rural revitalization strategy and setting clear priorities for gradual implementation item by item and year by year. All localities and relevant government departments have earnestly implemented related decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, upheld the values of developing and building for rural residents, followed the law of rural development in their work, focused on key areas, pooled resources and strength, and made solid progress in implementing the strategy. 

Mr. Deng Xiaogang just gave a comprehensive introduction. I think the achievements of the rural revitalization strategy bear the following three hallmarks. First, grain production capacity has been consolidated and increased. The country's annual grain output has stayed over 650 million metric tons for seven consecutive years, helping to guarantee supply, stabilize prices, and prevent inflation. Second, a complete victory in the fight against poverty has been attained. By the current standard, all of the 98.99 million rural poor, as well as the 832 counties and 128,000 villages classified as poor, have emerged from poverty, historically ending extreme poverty in China. The achievements of poverty alleviation have also been consolidated. Third, rural areas have markedly improved. Roads, water supply, power grids, and other infrastructure have been upgraded. Education, healthcare, and other basic public services have also been enhanced and expanded. All administrative villages where conditions permit have been accessible by paved roads and buses, and tap water coverage has reached 84% in rural areas. In addition, there are more channels for farmers to find jobs and increase their incomes. Rural areas have better ecological environment and enjoy stability and safety, laying a solid foundation for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization and accelerating agricultural and rural modernization. 

China's rural revitalization has achieved positive progress due to the concerted efforts of various factors. We believe that they are mainly manifested as follows.

First, we have strengthened organization and leadership for coordinated advancement. The central authorities have made it clear that it is necessary to establish a leadership responsibility system for implementing the rural revitalization strategy and implement a working mechanism with the central authorities responsible for the overall planning, provincial-level regions assuming overall responsibility, and cities and counties responsible for implementation. Heads of the Party committees and governments take the prime responsibility, and Party secretaries at the five administrative levels (provincial, city, county, township, and village levels) work toward rural revitalization. This is the strength of our system and a potent measure to advance our work. Over the past five years, the leading Party and government officials at all levels have stepped up to their responsibilities, made overall plans, enhanced measures, clarified annual tasks, and divided responsibilities at different levels, promoting the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy in an effective and orderly manner. 

Second, we have upheld the guidance of plans for orderly progress. The central authorities issued the Strategic Plan for Rural Revitalization (2018-2022), defining the development goals, key tasks, and supporting measures for implementing the strategy. Aligning with the national plan, all 31 provincial-level regions have issued rural revitalization schemes, and more than 80% of cities and counties have formulated local plans or implementation measures to promote rural revitalization in their respective regions on a categorized and orderly basis. Relevant departments have drawn up rural industry plans, digital village plans, and special programs for innovation-driven rural revitalization, detailing targets and tasks for rural revitalization based on different sectors and fields. 

Third, we have pooled resources and production factors for efficient advancement. The key is channeling resources and production factors into rural areas to boost agriculture, develop rural areas and help rural residents get rich. To begin with, we have bolstered diverse input. Financial departments at all levels have prioritized rural revitalization in their budget arrangements and encouraged more revenue from land transactions to be spent on agriculture and rural areas. Some provinces have explored setting up rural revitalization funds and inspired more local government bonds to support rural revitalization. Additionally, we have better secured land use. We have introduced land-use policies to ensure and regulate the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas, standardized the management of land used for facilities, and put rural land held in reserve for construction to good use. Furthermore, we have attracted and cultivated rural talents and devised guidelines in this regard. We have fully implemented the special employment plan for agricultural technology extension, vigorously trained rural craftsmen, and guided urban talents to contribute to rural areas.

Fourth, we have strengthened supervision, inspection, and motivation in promoting rural revitalization. Supervision and inspection play an important role in rural revitalization. On the one hand, we have conducted monitoring and evaluation through an evaluation system that objectively reflects the progress in rural revitalization. We also evaluate the progress of rural revitalization of each region and department through ways of field inspection, written reports, and follow-up investigations. On the other hand, we have been pushing forward performance evaluations by issuing a measure that assesses the progress in rural revitalization made by municipal- and county-level officials. All the 31 provincial-level regions in China have formulated their evaluation measures and established incentive and constraint mechanisms , including bonuses, quotas for land use, and job promotions to better use the evaluation results. This year, we have given incentives to 20 cities and counties that have made notable progress in rural revitalization.

Fifth, we have mobilized efforts across the society to promote rural revitalization. As a systematic project, rural revitalization needs the participation of all social forces like the people's organizations, social organizations, enterprises, and public institutions. We have also launched the "10,000 private enterprises revitalizing 10,000 villages" initiative, and supported private enterprises and industrial and commercial capital to invest in rural areas. Therefore, the government, society, and the market can all play their roles in promoting rural revitalization.

Sixth, we have improved the legal support to promote rural revitalization. We published and implemented the Rural Revitalization Promotion Law, the first basic law that comprehensively promotes the development of rural areas. In accordance with the laws and regulations, related departments are now busy formulating and amending supporting rules and regulations to make operable measures that can facilitate and evaluate the progress in rural revitalization. For example, 13 provinces like Zhejiang, Guangdong, and Jiangxi have introduced specific measures to promote rural revitalization, creating a better legal environment for the development of the rural areas. Thank you.

China Central Television:

The rural reform 40 years ago unveiled the reform and opening up nationwide. Could you elaborate on the progress in deepening rural reform in the past ten years? Thank you.

Deng Xiaogang:

Thank you. I'll take this question. Reform is the key to rural revitalization. Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has made a series of plans on its top agenda to systematically and comprehensively promote rural reform. For example, the central government has launched a batch of pilot projects to deepen reform and introduced fundamental and long-term reform measures to promote major breakthroughs in the reform of agriculture, rural areas, and rural residents, as well as other key areas.

First, solid progress has been made in rural land reforms. We have primarily formed a system of contracted rural land that separates rural land ownership rights, contract rights, and use rights, a major institutional innovation in rural reform after the household contract system. We have completed the verification, registration, and certification of land contract and management rights, which helped reassure over 200 million rural residents who had been issued a certificate of their contracted land. We have prudently promoted the policy extending second-round rural land contracts by another 30 years upon expiration, further consolidating and improving the basic rural management system. The management and service system for land transfer is constantly improving, and the appropriately scaled-up agricultural operations are enjoying healthy growth. The three pilot reforms on rural land expropriation, the marketing of rural collectively-owned land designated for business-related construction, and the system of rural land designated for housing have made major progress. A new round of pilot reform on the system of rural land designated for housing have been launched in 104 counties (cities or districts) and three prefecture-level regions.

Second, the reform of the rural collective property rights system has been basically completed. The auditing and liquidation of rural collective assets have been finished; the membership for the collective economic organizations has been identified; and the reform of the joint-stock cooperative system on for-profit assets has been solidly progressing. We have completed verification of 6.55 billion mu (436.7 million hectares) of collective land and 7.7 trillion yuan (US$1.15 trillion) of rural collective assets, including 3.5 trillion yuan of for-profit assets; we have identified 900 million members in around 960,000 rural collective economic organizations. Rural collective property rights have been better clarified, and the rural residents enjoy more property rights. The rural property rights transaction market is operating in an orderly manner, with the types of property rights diversifying and services improving.

Third, the establishment of a new type of system of agricultural operations has been accelerated. We have sped up fostering new agricultural businesses, launched the family farms initiative and the campaign to improve rural cooperatives, introduced trials to encourage commercial services for agriculture, and primarily established a policy system introducing small rural households to modern agriculture. The number of family farms reached 3.9 million, rural cooperatives over 2.2 million, and commercial organizations that provide agricultural services over 950,000.

Fourth, policies and institutions have been further refined to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and raise rural living standards. The pricing mechanism for agricultural products and the market regulation mechanism have been improved. Minimum purchase price policies for rice and wheat have been adjusted in a timely manner, and the system of purchasing and stockpiling corn and policies for guaranteed base prices for soybeans have been reformed and improved. A new mechanism for combining market-based purchases with producer subsidies has been established. Direct subsidies to grain growers, subsidies for purchasing superior crop varieties, and general subsidies for purchasing agricultural supplies have been provided. The policy system for agricultural subsidies, upholding green development and ecological conservation as the guiding principles, has taken shape. Permanent mechanisms for integration and coordinated use of rural development funds have been implemented. The management model of "major projects plus task list" has been implemented. The investment guarantee mechanism of finance for supporting rural revitalization has been gradually established. In addition, more revenues from land sales have been spent on supporting rural revitalization. 

Furthermore, other key rural reform tasks have been organized in a coordinated way. For example, the comprehensive reform of supply and marketing cooperatives has been deepened to form closer ties with farmers, develop an array of service functions for agriculture, rural areas, and rural people, and provide more efficient market-oriented operation. Remarkable achievements have been made in the collectivization of land reclamation zones and enterprise-oriented reform of farms. The reform to relieve state-owned farms of social service responsibilities has met the targets. The certification rate of reclaimed land has exceeded 96%. Moreover, over 50% of the state-owned farms have been converted into standard companies. Positive achievements have been made in various reform tasks regarding the collective forest tenure system, state forestry farms and areas, water conservation management system, and coordinated administrative law enforcement in agriculture. At the same time, 66 experimental zones for rural reform have been built across the country, and more than 400 trials and experiments tasks have been carried out, serving as pioneers and pacesetters in the reform. Thank you.

China County Times:

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee has prioritized poverty elimination in the governance of China and has made a historic achievement in poverty alleviation. What are the theoretical contributions of the poverty alleviation endeavor? What will be done to consolidate and build on the achievements in poverty elimination? Thank you.

Hong Tianyun:

I am glad to answer your question. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has led the whole Party and Chinese people of all ethnic groups, bearing in mind China's reality and understanding the status of poverty alleviation, in issuing a series of bold policies and measures and establishing a whole set of effective policies, work, and institutions. These efforts created a successful path of poverty eradication with Chinese characteristics and formed an anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics.

The kernel of the anti-poverty theory with Chinese characteristics is to uphold the seven principles. The first principle is to uphold the Party's leadership to provide solid political and organizational support for poverty alleviation. The second principle is to uphold the people-centered philosophy and unswervingly pursue common prosperity for all. The third principle is to take advantage of one of the strengths of its socialist system, that is, the ability to pool resources on major endeavors, mobilizing all society to unite with a common purpose and act in unison to fight poverty. The fourth principle is to adopt targeted measures and stay committed to eradicating poverty through development. The fifth principle is to stimulate the enthusiasm, initiative, and creativity of the people in poverty and inspire them with the motivation to fight poverty. The sixth principle is to carry forward the great tradition of working together and offering mutual support, fostering a strong atmosphere where the whole society helps the poor and the needy. The last one is to adopt a down-to-earth and pragmatic style of work and ensure that poverty alleviation reaches those who truly need it and delivers genuine outcomes and that poverty must be fully eliminated. These important experiences and understandings represent the theoretical crystallization of poverty alleviation in China and the latest achievement in adapting Marxism to the Chinese context and must be adhered to and steadily developed on a long-term basis.

After the victory in the battle against extreme poverty, it is a major concern of the Party Central Committee to consolidate and build on achievements in poverty elimination and prevent people from returning to impoverishment in large numbers. Since last year, after joint efforts of all parties, we have effectively aligned efforts to consolidate and expand the achievements in poverty alleviation with efforts to promote rural revitalization and ensure that people do not sink back into poverty in large numbers. Next, we will take the following five major steps.

First, we will implement better monitoring and assistance mechanisms to prevent people from slipping back into poverty. We will conduct screenings to identify households at risk of returning to or falling into poverty as monitoring targets, to ensure that all those in need are included and assisted and that the assistance is fully provided to eliminate risks.

Second, we will intensify policies to stabilize and expand employment. We will ensure that over 30 million people who have emerged from poverty have stable employment this year.

Third, we will promote the development of industries. More than 55% of the central budget's subsidy funds for promoting rural revitalization will be spent on the development of industries, focusing on supporting the industries that are integrated with farmers' interests, leading and benefiting farmers. At the same time, multiple measures will be taken to increase household operative income for the people.

Fourth, we will promote the implementation of projects and the use of funds. We will give full play to the role of the project pool in consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty elimination and rural revitalization. We will accelerate the use of funds for dovetailing new measures with rural revitalization, promoting the projects to be implemented, and delivering results as soon as possible.

Fifth, we will strengthen social assistance and resident assistance. We will further promote collaboration between eastern China and western China, targeted assistance from the central Party and government departments, and the "10,000 private enterprises revitalizing 10,000 villages" initiative. Furthermore, we will supervise and guide resident first secretaries and working teams to make concrete and meticulous efforts in their assistance.

Thank you.

Science and Technology Daily:

We have noticed that in recent years, environment-friendly, low-carbon, and circular development is becoming a fundamental principle of agriculture. I wonder what measures have been taken by various localities and government departments to promote the green development of agriculture and what achievements have been made so far? Thanks. 

Zeng Yande:

The promotion of green agriculture is profoundly changing the outlook of agricultural development. Since the 18th CPC National Congress, the CPC Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has attached great importance to the green development of agriculture, strengthened top-level design, and explored new institutional mechanisms to promote the green transition of agriculture. Various localities and government departments across China have earnestly implemented the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, consciously taken green agriculture as a key part of implementing the rural revitalization strategy, innovated their thinking of work, redoubled efforts, and have thus made headway in green agriculture. Nowadays, mountains in rural areas have become greener, and waters clearer, the countryside has become more beautiful, and environment-friendliness has become a key feature of building a "Beautiful China." The achievements of green agriculture can be summarized as follows. 

First, agricultural resources have been effectively protected. We have established a principle of economical, intensive, and recyclable use of resources over the years, strengthened the protection of arable land, improved the crop rotation and fallow land system, and carried out campaigns to protect and improve the quality of arable land. As a result, the grade of arable land has reached 4.76 on average nationwide, 0.35 higher than that in 2014. We have also pursued higher efficiency of water usage through the implementation of total volume control and quota management system of agricultural irrigation water, as well as the promotion of water-saving through agricultural varieties, technologies, and engineering projects. Therefore, the irrigation water use coefficient has reached 0.568, 0.052 higher than ten years ago, which is a hard-won result. We have also enhanced biodiversity protection. The world's largest standalone state-level farm crop germplasm resource bank has been built with the strongest preservation capabilities. A series of national livestock and poultry genetic resource preservation areas and aquatic germplasm resource preservation zones have also been built. 

Second, agriculture-related pollution has been effectively contained. In the past years, we have expedited green agricultural production and gradually improved the environment of places of production. We have scaled back and made more efficient use of chemical fertilizers and pesticides, through organic fertilizers made from fruits, vegetables, and tea, and the promotion of lesser and more efficient use of pesticides. As a result, the usage rate of chemical fertilizers and pesticides has surpassed 40%, and the amount has declined for years. We have also strengthened our capabilities of recycling and reusing the waste from livestock and poultry. All major animal husbandry counties in China have pushed forward comprehensive usage of livestock and poultry waste, and all large-scale livestock farms have been equipped with waste disposal devices. Therefore, the comprehensive utilization rate of livestock and poultry waste has reached 76% nationwide, 16 percentage points higher than that in 2015. We have also made better use of crop straws and agricultural plastic films. As we promoted the usage of crop straw as fertilizers, feed, and energy, its comprehensive utilization rate has reached 87%. We have also strengthened whole-process supervision of agricultural plastic film production, sales, usage, and recycling. The recycle and reuse rate has topped 80%, marking key progress in combating white pollution in farmland. 

Third, the agricultural ecosystem has been effectively restored. We have coordinated the conservation of mountain, river, forest, farmland, lake, grassland, and desert ecosystems and strengthened the recycling capabilities of the agricultural ecosystem. The farm field ecosystem has been protected and restored, the layout and construction of the farm-forest network have been optimized, and the mode of raising fish in rice fields has been promoted to achieve greater stability of the agricultural ecosystem. We have also protected the forest and grassland ecosystems, carried out large-scale national afforestation campaigns, and fully implemented systems of prohibiting grazing and grazing rest, as well as balancing between grassland and livestock. As a result, China's forest coverage rate topped 23%, and the national vegetation fractional coverage of grasslands reached 58%, contributing to the largest newly added greening areas in the world. We have also protected and recovered the ecosystems of key basins. We have worked to steadily contain the overexploitation of groundwater in the Yellow River basin. The ten-year fishing ban on the Yangtze River has made initial progress, and the river's aquatic biodiversity has gradually recovered. 

Fourth, we have accelerated the construction of the green, low-carbon agricultural industry chain. Green agriculture has seen more room for development along the entire industry chain, and a green and low-carbon production mode featuring conservation and moderation has been developed. The agricultural product processing industry has stepped up the green transition, and the standard agricultural product processing system has been improved. We have been pursuing fewer losses and higher efficiency in processing agricultural products, contributing to a steady rise in the capabilities of comprehensively processing and using agricultural products. An environment-friendly circulation system is being established, and the cold-chain logistics network has been improved. About 51,000 cold storage facilities have been built at places of agricultural production, which has significantly improved the capabilities of such places in processing agricultural products at low temperatures and commodifying their farm produce. Green, low-carbon agricultural parks have been steadily built. Modern agriculture industrial parks, demonstration zones for agricultural modernization, and pilot zones of green agricultural development have been pushing forward standardized agricultural production featuring better varieties, qualities, and branding so that they have successfully used their entire chain. Thank you. 

Farmers' Daily, farmer.com.cn:

China's grain output has seen bumper harvests for several consecutive years, with last year's total grain production hitting a record high. China has ensured absolute grain security, but is still facing production shortfalls in soybeans, oil-bearing crops and other varieties. This year, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs has also proposed stabilizing the production of grain and corn, and expanding the acreage of soybeans and oilseed crops. What new developments have there been in China's expansion in the cultivation of soybeans and oilseed crops? What measures will be taken next? Thank you.

Zeng Yande:

Thank you for your questions. One of the priorities regarding this year's agricultural and rural work is to expand the planting of soybeans and oilseed crops. Currently, everything is progressing well. It's a foregone conclusion that we will have a bumper summer wheat harvest and increased output, which is a highlight of this year's agriculture and rural development. At present, China has achieved notable progress in its production of soybeans and oilseed crops, marked by two factors: First, there was a significant rise in rapeseed output. Estimates show that the acreage of rapeseed plants will exceed 100 million mu (about 6.67 million hectares) this year, with a stable unit-yield level and a clear rise in yield. Second, the planting of soybeans is expected to expand this year. Currently, the planting area for soybeans for the whole year will be increased significantly after the application of belt-shaped intercropping of soybeans and corns, which is a remarkable result. Generally, we have full confidence in achieving the two goals of expanding the acreage of soybeans and oilseed crops.

Next, we still have work that needs to be continued: ensuring the expansion of the planting area of summer sowing soybeans during the summer harvest, while strengthening post management to achieve the expansion of soybean and oilseed crop cultivation, as well as growth in both the per-unit yield and total output this year, so as to support the effective supply of soybeans and oilseed crops.

Thank you.

Cover News:

For a long time, the gap between rural and urban areas in terms of infrastructure and public services has been relatively large. We know that in recent years, local authorities have stepped up efforts to strengthen the weak links, and have done more to improve the living environment in rural areas. Could you please share with us the progress that has been made in this regard? What steps will be taken to continue these efforts? Thank you.

Hong Tianyun:

Thank you for your questions. Improving the living environment in rural areas is an important task in the rural revitalization strategy. Since 2018, the CPC Central Committee and the State Council have successively deployed and implemented a three-year action plan to improve the rural living environment and a five-year action plan to accelerate the improvement of the rural living environment from 2021 to 2025. All localities and departments have conscientiously implemented the action plans and worked hard for them. The rural living environment has been significantly improved, and the farmers' sense of gain and happiness has been continuously enhanced. On June 20, Vice Premier Hu Chunhua presided over a meeting on national rural construction work in Sanming City, Fujian Province. Various media outlets have made a lot of reports on the improvement of the rural living environment. I am happy and willing to brief you again about the relevant situation.

First, works related tothe rural living environment have been carried out in an all-round way. , and the three-year action plan goals and tasks have been completed as scheduled. By the end of 2021, the penetration rate of sanitary toilets in rural areas across the country will exceed 70%. Among them, the penetration rate of hygienic toilets in rural areas in the eastern region and the suburban areas of central and western cities with suitable foundations and conditions have exceeded 90%. Since 2018, more than 40 million rural household toilets have been renovated. The proportion of villages nationwide that can collect, transport, and treat rural domestic waste has remained stable at over 90%; the treatment rate of rural domestic sewage has reached about 28%.

Second, the appearance of dirty, chaotic, and poor rural areas has been significantly improved, and the village environment is now clean, tidy, and orderly. More than 95% of the villages across China have carried out cleaning actions, guiding farmers to focus on cleaning up for sanitation, cleaning up garbage, and cleaning up the environment, while promoting the resource utilization of livestock and poultry manures and crops straws. The rural countryside has been clean, tidy, and orderly, and localities have built more than 50,000 beautiful and livable villages as typical models based on their actual conditions.

Third, the philosophy of civilized life of farmers has been significantly elevated, and the quality of life has generally improved. The inside and outside of the farmer's houses are cleaner, the inside and outside of their courtyards are more beautiful, the farmer's living habits are cleaner, and the lifestyle is greener. It can be said that the improvement of the rural living environment has changed farmers' health philosophy, changed a new look of rural life, and established a new style of civilization in rural areas.

To achieve rural revitalization, it is necessary to improve agricultural and rural infrastructures according to local conditions and promote agricultural and rural modernization with infrastructure modernization. Next, we will focus on the following work: First, we will adhere to taking measures adapted to local conditions. We will fully consider the regional resource endowment conditions and economic development level and implement policies by division and classification. We will not match in the same step or hold that one size fits all. The second is to highlight the masses as the main body of the countryside. We will extensively mobilize the farmers to participate in the revitalization actions and form a good governance atmosphere where rural grassroots Party branch organizations, Party members, and cadres take the lead, and farmers participate. Third, we must focus on overall planning and promotion. We will advance key tasks such as developing rural industries, constructing infrastructures and ecological protection, coordinating planning and construction, and facilitating coordinated development. Fourth, we must strengthen the promotion of models and use them as reference and guidance. There are already many good examples and good experiences all over the country, such as Zhejiang's experience of its program to improve 10,000 villages and make 1,000 being models and Guangdong's experience of the "three cleanups, three demolitions, and three rectifications" campaign. It is necessary to establish several demonstration examples to drive the overall boost of the improvement work in the rural living environment. Thank you.

21st Century Business Herald:

We all know that industrial revitalization is the first of the five major revitalizations, and it is also an important channel to promote farmers' employment and income. What is the current development of rural industries? Next, which aspects will you focus on to promote rural industries' development and increase farmers' employment and income? Thank you.

Deng Xiaogang:

The growth of industries is crucial to rural revitalization. General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the development of rural industries. He has delivered important speeches and instructions on various occasions, setting clear direction and priorities for the development of rural industries.

Over the past decade, agriculture and rural affairs departments at all levels have carefully studied and understood the principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important instructions. With clear focus, we have strengthened guidance, increased investment, and made every effort to promote the development of rural industries and consolidate the material foundation for rural revitalization. Remarkable progress has been achieved in this respect.

First, the agricultural product processing and circulation industry has developed rapidly. We have launched an initiative to upgrade the agricultural products processing industry, shifted the industry's focus to counties, central towns, and logistics nodes, and improved key logistics networks and cold chain systems. We have built 156,000 primary processing facilities and more than 50,000 cold storage facilities in production areas. Now, 70.6% of farm produce is processed into commodities. Agricultural product processing enterprises have earned revenues of nearly 25 trillion yuan. The ratio of the output value of the agricultural product processing industry to the total agricultural output value reached 2.5:1.

Second, rural leisure tourism has developed steadily. We have worked to implement excellent projects for leisure agriculture and rural tourism, perform multiple functions of agriculture, and realize the diversified values of rural areas. We have built a number of leisure agricultural attractions and promoted more than 1,000 quality travel routes. Now there are over 300,000 leisure farms, tourist farms, and agritainment resorts nationwide, generating revenues of more than 700 billion yuan annualy.

Third, new industries and business forms have achieved vigorous growth in rural areas. We have made a big push to develop rural e-commerce and fostered more than 30,000 agriculture-related e-commerce platforms. Rural online retail sales exceeded 2 trillion yuan, and online retail sales of agricultural products reached more than 420 billion yuan. We have actively developed new services to make production and life in rural areas more convenient. Based on the special resources in rural areas, we have fostered distinctive industries according to local conditions and created several brands.

Fourth, the integrated development of rural industries has gradually become a trend. We have promoted the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas and allocated agricultural and modern industrial factors across sectors. We have built 140 characteristic industrial clusters, 250 national modern agricultural industrial parks, more than 1,300 towns with agricultural strengths, and over 3,600 model villages and towns with special products of their own. These are all high-quality and efficient engines driving rural industry development with distinctive local characteristics and prominent leading industries.

Fifth, rural entrepreneurs and innovators are dynamic. We have improved supportive policies to bolster employment and entrepreneurship by attracting returnee rural migrant workers, secondary and tertiary specialized school graduates, demobilized military personnel, and scientists and technicians to pursue business and other innovative ventures in rural areas. We have built more than 2,200 innovation and start-up parks and incubation bases in rural areas. A total of 11.2 million people have returned to their hometowns to pursue business and other innovative ventures, each creating six to seven stable jobs and 15-20 flexible ones.

Going forward, we will act on the decisions and plans of the CPC Central Committee and the State Council, prioritize helping rural residents find employment and increase their income and focus on performing multiple functions of agriculture and realizing the diversified values of rural areas, on ensuring farmers enjoy more job opportunities and share more benefits from the growth of industries. The four major tasks are as follows. The first is to develop industries that can drive rural prosperity, especially county-level industries with a large capacity for employment, continue to upgrade rural industries, extend the industrial chain, foster supply chains, and improve value chains. The second is to promote entrepreneurship in rural areas by guiding returnee migrant workers to start businesses in their hometowns and villages, supporting secondary and tertiary specialized school graduates, demobilized military personnel, and scientists and technicians to pursue business in rural areas, and encouraging rural craftsmen and talent to engage in entrepreneurial activities, to create job opportunities and increase farmers' income. The third is to attract investment by optimizing the rural business environment and guiding industrial and commercial capital to invest in building green and high-quality product bases, setting up processing plants, and promoting industrial integration to help local farmers gain prosperity. The fourth is to create employment opportunities for farmers by building several platforms such as modern agricultural parks and promoting the integration of industries into villages to enable rural residents to get jobs locally or in nearby regions. At the same time, we will strengthen skills training for farmers and continue to support and guide farmers to find employment in other places.

Xing Huina:

Due to the time limit, today's press conference is now concluded. Thank you to all speakers and friends from the media. Goodbye.

Translated and edited by Gong Yingchun, Huang Shan, Mi Xingang, Wang Wei, Xu Xiaoxuan, Guo Yiming, Zhou Jing, Zhang Lulu, Wang Yanfang, Zhang Rui, Ma Yujia, He Shan, Xu Kailin, Zhang Liying, Wang Qian, Zhu Bochen, Yang Xi, Zhang Tingting, Li Huiru, David Ball, Jay Birbeck, and Tom Arnstein. In case of any discrepancy between the English and Chinese texts, the Chinese version is deemed to prevail.