Decision of the CPC Central Committee concerning Several Major Issues in Promoting Rural Reform and Development

The programmatic document on promoting economic and social Development in the new century, evaluated and adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 17th Central Committee of the CPC on October 12, 2008. Included in Selection and Compilation of Important Documents since the 17th National Congress (Vol. 1). The “Decision” stressed that it is of great significance to promote rural reform and development under the new situation. The issues of agriculture, rural areas and farmers concern the overall development of the undertakings of the Party and the state. The great practice of rural reform has accumulated valuable experience for successfully paved the way for the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics and forming the theoretical system of socialism with Chinese characteristics.

Only by insisting on solving the problems of agriculture, rural areas and peasants as the top priority of the Party's work, adhering to the basic position of agriculture, adhering to the direction of socialist market economy reform, adhering to the path of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics, and adhering to safeguarding the material and democratic rights of peasants, only in this way can we continuously emancipate and develop rural social productive forces and promote the all-round development of rural economy and society. The “Decision” has stipulated the goals, tasks and major principles of promoting rural reform and development. To build a new socialist countryside as a strategic task, we should consolidate and strengthen the basic position of agriculture; effectively safeguard the rights and interests of farmers; constantly liberate and develop rural social productive forces; coordinate urban and rural economic and social development; adhere to the Party's management of rural work, and always take strengthening and improving the Party's leadership of rural work as a way to promote rural reform. The political guarantee of development as an important principle to realize the reform and development of rural areas. The “Decision” stipulates that in order to achieve the strategic goals of rural development, we should make breakthroughs in the key links of rural system reform, further liberalize and invigorate the rural economy, optimize the external environment of rural development and strengthen the guarantee of rural development system in accordance with the requirements of balancing urban and rural development. The “Decision” pointed out: in order to develop modern agriculture, we should ensure national food security, promote the strategic adjustment of agricultural structure, accelerate innovation of agricultural science and technology, strengthen the construction of agricultural infrastructure, build a new social service system for agriculture, promote sustainable development of agriculture, and expand the opening of agriculture to the outside world. In order to build a new socialist countryside and form a new pattern of integration of urban and rural economic and social development, we should expand the scope of public finance so as to cover the rural areas and develop rural public utilities so as to enable the vast majority of peasants to learn, earn income by working, get medical treatment for their illnesses, get financial support and homes for their old age.

The “Decision” has stressed that the leadership of the Party is the key in promoting rural reform and development. We should take the construction of the Party's governing ability and advanced nature as the main line, promote the Party's construction in rural areas in an all-round way with the spirit of reform and innovation, enhance the creativity, cohesion and combat effectiveness of Party organizations at all levels, and constantly improve the Party's level of leadership in rural areas.