Revitalizing the Countryside Through Rural and Agricultural Modernization

DEVELOPMENT of rural areas is critical for China. When working toward the goal of building the country into a moderately prosperous society in all respects and a strong, modern socialist country, the most challenging and onerous tasks China faces are those regarding rural areas. The progress of these areas will in turn provide the solid foundation and become the largest source of strength and potential for national development.

- WANG LI

Fully understanding the inherent law of modernization and the shifting relationship between urban and rural areas, the Chinese government put forward the rural revitalization strategy in response to rural residents’ aspiration for a better life. The government has made the implementation of this strategy a key task for China’s development going forward.

A roadmap has been charted for this strategy: to achieve decisive progress by 2035 – essentially realizing modernization of agriculture and rural areas; and fully revitalize the countryside by 2050 – ensuring that agriculture is advanced, the rural environment is improved, and the lives of rural residents are better-off. Since the strategy was launched in 2018, marked progress has been made in certain developed regions of China, and some good experience and practices have emerged.

A section of the Xijiangzhai modern agriculture park in Kaifeng, Henan Province, is a combo project that integrates culture, agriculture, and tourism.

Modernization for Both Agriculture and Rural Areas

Modernization has always been the goal of agricultural and rural development since the founding of the People’s Republic in 1949. In 1961 the Chinese government, for the first time, made it clear that the country would gradually promote mechanization and electrification of agriculture, construction of irrigation projects, and application of chemical fertilizers. At the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) in 1978, the country announced it would take the path of agricultural modernization suitable for Chinese conditions. Various efforts were made for this purpose over the following years, including reforming the operational system of agriculture, increasing investment in science and technology, and extending the industrial chain.