4 February, 2018 – China’s top priority for 2018 is to plan and start implementing a strategy to vitalise rural areas.

This is the 15^th consecutive year that the No. 1 document has focused on the “three rural issues” – agriculture, rural areas and farmers. Broadly speaking, the document aims to make agriculture an attractive industry, make farming an attractive job and make villages attractive places for living and working.

More specifically, the document charts a roadmap for rural vitalisation from 10 different angles: 

1. Boost the quality of agricultural development
2. Promote rural green development
3. Encourage a prosperous and rich rural culture
4. Establish a new regulatory framework to manage rural areas
5. Raise the security levels of rural citizens
6. Nail down precise strategies for eradicating poverty
7. Facilitate resource supplies for rural vitalisation
8. Recruit talents to support rural vitalisation
9. Improve security levels of rural vitalisation
10. Maintain dedication to the party’s leadership over “three rural issues”

Three goals with hard deadlines were set in the document, which are:

• By 2020: achieve significant progress in rural vitalisation – establish a basic regulatory framework and policy scheme;
• By 2035: achieve definitive progress in rural vitalisation – agricultural and rural modernisation to be realised; and
• By 2050: comprehensive rural vitalisation; strong agriculture – beautiful villages and well-off farmers to be realised.

Several concrete measures to improve the rural economy are proposed in the document. For example, family workshops and environmental friendly enterprises are encouraged to enrich rural economy diversity and boost employment rates. Plus, tourism based on forests, grasslands, rivers and lakes are to be promoted to protect the ecological functions of rural areas.

The document stresses that agricultural and rural development should be prioritised in officials’ arrangements, financial investments and public services. Also, entrepreneurs, investors and legal service providers are encouraged to pay more attention to rural vitalisation.

Different reform measures about rural land use are also provided in the document.

Read the full Document here (Chinese only).