The development of the rural area is a key issue in China's
national rejuvenation and long-term stability, said Premier Wen
Jiabao in a speech released by the State Council Thursday.
Wen said the scheme to boost the construction of a new socialist
countryside, a blueprint mapped out by the central authorities at
the Fifth Plenum of the 16th
Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (
CPC) last October, is of great significance.
The government will work hard in the 2006-2010 period to improve
living and production conditions in rural areas by substantially
enlarging state financial coverage, he said.
The Premier said the Chinese government will deepen
institutional reform at township level and financial reform at
county and township levels in the five-year period.
Compulsory education will also be promoted as part of the reform
in rural areas, he said.
Wen reminded that the abolition of agricultural taxes, which
began this year, does not necessarily mean farmers' burdens are
discharged once and for all.
"We must guard against the reemergence of random charging of
farmers under various pretexts," he said.
To maintain the balance between food supply and demand, the
Premier said, the regulations on farmland protection must be
strictly observed, and preferential policies must be implemented to
inspire farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain.
Land management is a crucial problem in the reform and
development of the countryside, which not only concerns rural
development and stability but might also affect sustainable
development of the country's overall industrialization and
urbanization process, Wen said.
The Premier said that land acquisition for construction projects
must be strictly controlled, and farmers' property rights must be
respected.
Acknowledging that migrant workers from rural areas have become
a major component of the country's industrial workforce, the
Premier called for the improvement of their treatment, including
pay, social security, vocational training opportunities and their
children's education.
Public services in the countryside, including education, medical
care and cultural services, have to be strengthened in the ensuing
five years, Wen said.
Moreover, the Chinese premier urged governments at all levels to
make rural issues the top priority on their work agendas.
(China Daily January 20, 2006)