Agriculture, rural areas and farmers march comprehensively into a new era; the "three musts" will surely play a guiding role

“For China to be strong, agriculture must be strong; for China to be beautiful, the countryside must be beautiful; for China to be rich, farmers must be rich.” This is the clear stance and firm attitude that General Secretary Xi Jinping has repeatedly reaffirmed regarding how our country, in the new era and new stage, can quickly lengthen the “short leg” of agricultural modernization and comprehensively make up the “weak link” of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects in rural areas. This major strategic guiding ideology of unswervingly developing agriculture, persistently benefiting rural areas, tirelessly enriching farmers, and continuously and steadily solving the problem of feeding 1.3 billion people was also written into the No. 1 Central Document this year.

⟦NL> Persistently attaching great importance to strengthening the work on “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” and doing everything possible to properly solve the “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” issue is both a top priority for Party and government bodies at all levels in governing and securing the country and a long-term strategic task vital to the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. General Secretary Xi, who has always held deep feelings for “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” since the day he served as secretary of the county Party committee of Zhengding County, Hebei Province, has, from his rich practical experience of wholeheartedly serving the people, summarized for us plain yet profound truths such as “when grain is stable, the world is secure,” “firmly keep the rice bowl in our own hands,” “without agricultural modernization there can be no national modernization,” and “without moderate prosperity in rural areas there can be no moderate prosperity nationwide,” and he has repeatedly stressed the need to persist in making the resolution of the “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” issue the top priority of the whole Party's work, always firmly grasping and steadily handling the work on “agriculture, rural areas and farmers.” In the course of the nation's march toward modernization, agricultural modernization must not lag behind; in the course of building a moderately prosperous society in all respects, the vast countryside must not be left behind; in the course of jointly building the Chinese Dream, the dreams of 700 million farmers must not be absent. Therefore, in General Secretary Xi's view, whether moderate prosperity is achieved or not depends on the folks in the countryside. It must be recognized that agriculture is still the short leg in the “synchronization of the four modernizations,” and the countryside is still the weak link in building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. For China to be strong, agriculture must be strong; for China to be beautiful, the countryside must be beautiful; for China to be rich, farmers must be rich. Only by persisting in focusing on the overall development situation of the whole country, effectively solving the long-term problems constraining rural development, comprehensively deepening rural reform, and accelerating agricultural modernization can Party and government bodies at all levels make the agricultural foundation solid, the countryside harmonious and stable, and farmers live and work in contentment. Only then will “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” have a flourishing industry, a beautiful homeland, increasingly bulging wallets, and practical protection of all rights and interests, and only then can the country's 700 million farmers continue to grow dreams and harvest happiness in the fields of hope, and can the overall situation of the country remain stable over the long term.

China is still a major agricultural country among the world's developing countries, and the “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” issue remains fairly prominent in the actual national conditions and involves a wide range of areas. It concerns not only the quality of the citizenry and economic development, but also social stability and national prosperity and strength. General Secretary Xi, with great foresight, put forward the important ideological viewpoint of the “three musts” on the “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” issue. For our country's current and future period of scientifically developing agriculture, fully benefiting rural areas, and comprehensively enriching farmers, it undoubtedly has the most realistic broad practical significance and the most far-reaching strategic guiding significance. These “three musts” will surely guide “agriculture, rural areas and farmers” to march comprehensively into a new era of agricultural modernization and rural economic and social reform, innovation, and sustainable development, further stimulate the vitality of increased production and income in China's modern new-type agriculture, further add momentum to accelerating the pace of building a new socialist countryside, further mobilize the enthusiasm and creativity of the country's 700 million farmers in jointly escaping poverty, becoming well-off, and striving for moderate prosperity, and lay a solid foundation for comprehensively realizing the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation!