The 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) outlined the development of the country's rural areas and the economy as a whole at its fifth plenary session which concluded Tuesday.

The central committee discussed and approved a proposal for a program for China's economic and social development in the next five years (2006-2010). Topics such as agriculture, industry structure, regional development and the recycling economy are part of the program.

The meeting agreed that building a new, socialist countryside is a major task for China's modernization drive. In rural areas, the state should work to expand production, improve living standards, promote civilized way of life, improve sanitation, and ensure democratic administration.

The government will work for coordinated development between urban and rural areas, promote the development of modern agriculture, deepen the reforms in rural areas, build more public facilities and increase the income of farmers.

The meeting said China should take expanding the capacity of independent innovation as the core of adjusting industrial structure and changing the mode of economic growth.

China should enhance the development of advanced manufacturing,services industry, the technological level of industries, the construction of infrastructure facilities and basic industries, and quicken the optimization and upgrading of industrial structure.

The meeting decided that the development of the western region and renewal of the old industrial bases in the northeast and elsewhere should continue, the central region should be promoted to rise, and the eastern region should be encouraged to develop faster, so that all parts of the country can promote and help eachother for common development.

Large, middle and small cities and small towns also should be developed coordinately. The state will promote urbanization gradually, making efficient use of land for intensive development, and realizing reasonable distribution.

Great efforts must be made to develop a recycling economy, making efficient use of resources and protecting the environment. Earnest efforts should be made to tackle environmental pollution, especially serious ones that affect economic and social development and harm people's health, and promote healthy ways ofeconomic growth and consumption.

(Xinhua News Agency October 12, 2005)