China's annual central rural work conference concludes in Beijing

BEIJING - China held its annual central rural work conference from Saturday to Sunday in Beijing.

The conference analyzed current situations and tasks facing issues related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers and mapped out the plan for the next year.

Chinese President Xi Jinping, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, presided over a meeting of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee on issues related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers, and delivered an important speech before the two-day conference.

Xi underscored ensuring the steady development of agriculture and rural areas in responding to multiple risks and challenges.

Ensuring the supply of primary goods is a major strategic issue, Xi noted, calling for efforts to safeguard grain security and protect farmland, make down-to-earth structural adjustments, expand the planting of soybean and oil crops, as well as ensure the supplies of pork, vegetables and other agricultural and sideline products.

Xi stressed that the premise of rural vitalization is to consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation.

He urged efforts to ensure no large-scale return to poverty, and safeguard and consolidate the remarkable achievements of China's anti-poverty fight.