Commentary
BEIJING – Visiting poor villages has been a key part of Xi Jinping’s more than 80 inspections around the country since he was elected general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee in late 2012.
His visit to the less-developed province of Guizhou this week, however, signals a change.
As the country has gained a decisive victory in ending absolute poverty, the focus of work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers has shifted to promoting rural vitalization.
The priority is to consolidate poverty relief achievements. The more difficult it is for a region to shake off poverty, the greater the need to consolidate and expand its poverty eradication results.
By choosing Guizhou, home to the last nine counties removed from the country’s poverty list, Xi wanted to see in person the living conditions of those who have shaken off poverty, and promote steady progress in rural vitalization.
He went to Huawu village in Qianxi county that was once reeling under extreme poverty but has received support to develop rural industries and tourism.
Xi visited a Miao* embroidery workshop there, giving the thumbs up to its role in promoting rural vitalization.
He joined the family of Zhao Yuxue in Huawu in making a traditional snack for festivals and wished the family “a happier and sweeter life.”
As Xi has pointed out on various occasions, rural vitalization involves work in four aspects:
1) rural industries must be bolstered to turn farming into promising work;
2) favorable conditions must be created for those who choose to stay in the countryside;
3) cultural activities must be enriched;
4) the environment and ecology must be good and village-level organizations should be full of vigor.
The message of shifting the focus in work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers has become clear over time.
A key session of the 19th CPC Central Committee last October called for efforts in consolidating achievements secured in poverty eradication and fully promoting the strategy of rural vitalization.
At the annual central rural work conference held last December, Xi stressed that China should push forward rural vitalization in an all-round way as “a historic shift” in the focus of its work concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers.
The year 2021 marks the start of the nation’s 14th five-year plan for economic and social development and its new journey toward fully building a modern socialist country.
In that pursuit, rural areas remain where the most formidable tasks, as well as the broadest and most profound foundations, lie.
Xi’s Guizhou tour has pointed out the future direction for promoting rural vitalization.
As he has said, being lifted out of poverty is not an end in itself but the starting point of a new life and a new pursuit. – Xinhua
*The Miao are a group of linguistically-related peoples in southern China and elsewhere in Asia and are recognised by the central government as one of the nation’s 56 ethnic groups. Nearly 10 million Miao live in China.
President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission (CMC), joins ethnic Miao villagers in making “huangba,” a local traditional snack for festivals, at a family home in Huawu village of the Xinren Miao Township, Qianxi county, Bijie city, Guizhou province, on Wednesday. Xi on Wednesday paid an inspection visit to Guizhou ahead of the Spring Festival, as the Chinese New Year is officially known. – Xinhua
