On Feb. 24, 2025, the State Council Information Office holds a press conference in Beijing on further deepening rural reform for solid gains in rural revitalization across the board. [Photo by Liu Jian/China SCIO]

As spring farming begins across the country, China released its annual rural policy blueprint on Sunday, referred to as the "No. 1 central document," aiming to further deepen rural reform and advance all-round rural revitalization.

In order to expound on this document, the State Council Information Office held a press conference on Monday, which was attended by Han Wenxiu, deputy director in charge of routine work of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission and director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group.

Han said that, with a focus on deepening rural reform, the document highlights two "bottom-line tasks" — ensuring the supply of grain and other important agricultural products and consolidating the achievements in poverty elimination — and four "key tasks" — developing local industries, advancing rural construction, improving the rural governance system, and optimizing the rural resource allocation system. 

Villagers sow corn seeds and mulch a field in Buying village, Suining city, Sichuan province, Feb. 18, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] 

"China's grain supply, overall, does not surpass demand; instead, it remains in a state of borderline sufficiency," Han said. He emphasized that this year's document continues placing the highest priority on ensuring national food security. 

Han noted that, to ensure stable and bountiful grain production, China will make efforts to increase yield per unit and improve grain quality on the basis of stabilizing the area of land dedicated to grain cultivation this year. 

Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs shows that in 2024, China's grain output exceeded 700 billion kilograms for the first time despite natural disasters, up 11.09 billion kilograms year on year. 

Also speaking at the press conference, Zhu Weidong, deputy director of the Office of the Central Financial and Economic Affairs Commission and deputy director of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said that China will launch an inter-provincial compensation mechanism. Through this mechanism, the central government will coordinate the transfer of grain and compensation between grain-producing and grain-consuming provinces, so as to financially support major grain-producing areas.

Farmers work in a field in Yacha town of Baisha Li autonomous county, Hainan province, Feb. 20, 2025. [Photo/Xinhua] 

According to the document, to consolidate the progress made in poverty eradication, China will strengthen monitoring and assistance mechanisms to prevent lapse or relapse into poverty, while enhancing the long-term management system for the substantial assistance assets accumulated through poverty alleviation efforts over time. 

A database for registering and managing assistance assets will also be established, with a comprehensive supervision system outlining asset management responsibilities, Han noted.

He emphasized that, while this year marks the final year of the five-year transition period for effectively integrating the efforts to consolidate and build on the achievements in poverty alleviation with rural revitalization, "assistance policies will not abruptly cease after the transition but will be refined in categories."

According to the document, mechanisms for preventing rural residents from lapsing or relapsing into poverty and a system of multi-tiered support for low-income rural residents and underdeveloped areas will be established.

"Preventing large-scale lapse or relapse into poverty is not just a task of this year, but a long-term, ongoing commitment that must be maintained beyond the transition period," Han said. 

An aerial drone photo taken on July 12, 2024 shows the Carp Brook scenic area in Puyuan village, Zhouning county, Fujian province. [Photo/Xinhua] 

The document also emphasizes developing local industries tailored to specific conditions to boost income. 

Official data reveals that last year, the per capita disposable income of farmers in poverty-alleviated counties grew faster than the national average; the per capita disposable income of rural residents reached 23,119 yuan, a real growth of 6.3% compared to the previous year; and the income gap between urban and rural residents further narrowed to a ratio of 2.34 to 1. 

In terms of reforms for other key tasks, Zhu noted that efforts will be made to address the urgent needs of rural residents. Boarding schools and essential small-scale schools will be better run to optimize education resource allocation, the management of nutrition improvement plans for rural compulsory education students will be comprehensively enhanced, medical workers and services will be encouraged to move to rural areas, and the basic pension for both urban and rural residents will be gradually raised. 

Moreover, more high-quality cultural and sports activities will be provided, and outdated customs like hefty bride prices will be gradually addressed. 

Zhu said that China will move forward with well-organized trials to extend rural land contracts by another 30 years upon the expiration of the second-round contracts. Furthermore, he emphasized that urban residents are forbidden from purchasing rural houses and residential land, and the transfer of contracted land management rights must be conducted voluntarily, with compensation, and in accordance with the law.

Han noted that cities with the necessary resources are encouraged to gradually include agricultural migrants with stable employment in their urban housing security policies.

Han highlighted the document's approach to talent development which combines local cultivation with the introduction of external expertise. He explained that the policy document emphasizes providing skills training for farmers while also creating a supportive environment and enhancing public services to attract talent who can contribute to rural development. "People are the key to rural revitalization," he said.

Data shows that more than 12 million people nationwide have returned to their homes in rural areas or moved to rural areas to engage in entrepreneurial activities.

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