China will select 100,000 college graduates to work on grassroots posts in villages in the country's vast rural areas in the next five years as part of the drive to build a new socialist countryside, reported China Youth Daily early Monday.

Having well educated graduates work at village-level governments is an important decision made by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) to further implement the scientific outlook on development and accelerate the construction process of new socialist countryside, the report quotes Li Yuanchao, the head of Organization Department of CPC Central Committee.

At a recent joint conference with the ministries of Education, Finance, Human Resource and Social Security, Li said qualified college graduates will be selected on a voluntary basis through open competitions to ensure those who love the countryside have the opportunities to work in poorer and remote areas.

Li stressed that it is important to organize trainings for the selected college graduates in the villages before they take up their posts so the candidates can gain better understandings of rural construction, the principles, policies and the know-how of rural work.

Li also emphasized on the implementation of incentive policies, follow-up management and services, in order to create a favorable environment for graduates coming to villages as rural officials and for them to do a better job.

(CRI March 24, 2008)