China has recently released its "No. 1 Central Document" for 2024, the first policy statement released by the central authorities, outlining priorities for promoting rural revitalization. Zhu Weidong, deputy director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, expounded on the approaches to further increasing rural income at a press conference Sunday.

On Feb. 4, 2024, the State Council Information Office holds a press conference in Beijing on advancing rural revitalization. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

Improving rural residents' income serves as an essential task in China's agricultural work, Zhu said. In 2023, the per capita disposable income of rural residents increased 7.6% year on year to reach 21,691 yuan (US$3,015 ), continuing to narrow the rural and urban income gap. 

Agribusiness plays an important role in driving growth of rural residents' income. According to the new document, campaigns will be held to support rural residents to develop household businesses such as specialized breeding and farming, handicraft workshops, and forest-based business. 

Efforts will also be made to promote consumption of agricultural products, and enhance coordinated regulation of various products, in a bid to stabilize prices and increase residents' income. 

According to the document, wage income has become the most important source of rural residents' income, and various channels shall be smoothed for rural workers to get employed. Vocational training for rural migrant workers will be enhanced, and a mechanism on cross-region information-sharing and organized labor transfer will be improved. A long-term mechanism to eradicate back pay issues will be optimized by enhancing prevention and risk-warning capabilities. 

Policy support to rural residents such as social security improvement will also be beefed up, and supervision on agriculture-related funds shall be enhanced to ensure delivery of subsidies to rural residents, Zhu said. 

Besides, rural residents are encouraged to make use of idle land and houses by renting it out and starting businesses, so as to raise their property income. 

As for rural construction, the document highlights tasks such as improving rural living environment, enhancing rural infrastructure construction, and providing better public services on education, medical care, and elderly care, Zhu added.