Rural, farming reforms bearing fruits

Since the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October first advanced the rural revitalization strategy, the Central Rural Work Conference has accorded high priority to the strategy's implementation. And this year's No 1 central document has prescribed measures to facilitate the implementation of the strategy in an all-round way.

Thanks to rural and agricultural modernization in China, rural residents' production capacity and living conditions have been continuously improving. In particular, after the 18th Party Congress in 2012, China's agricultural development entered a new phase, with new types of agricultural operations growing and a new agricultural industry developing rapidly. Also, the urban-rural income gap has been narrowing, and the poverty alleviation campaign has achieved great results, with the infrastructure in rural areas upgraded and rural basic social services remarkably improved.

But rural and agricultural development in China still has a lot of room for improvement. The competitiveness of the agricultural industry is relatively weak, and the quality of agricultural products can hardly meet people's ever-growing needs for a better life. Agricultural pollution remains a serious issue, and the problems of "left-behind" senior citizens, women and children in rural areas are yet to be solved. Also calling for improvement are cultural construction in rural areas and rural governance.