Why valuing agriculture is a form of strategic clarity

On March 9, General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out while attending the deliberation of the Jilin delegation that at China's current stage, the question is not whether to have agriculture, but how to overcome difficulties under new circumstances and continue to do a good job of it. Agricultural modernization cannot hold things back; we must always maintain strategic clarity.

With grain output increasing for the 11th consecutive year and farmers' incomes rising rapidly for the 5th consecutive year, against the broader backdrop of steadily improving work on agriculture, rural areas and farmers, some people feel they can relax and that there is no need to devote great effort to advancing modern agriculture. This way of thinking fails both to recognize agriculture's irreplaceable foundational role in the national economy and to heed the reality that agriculture is the weak link in the “synchronization of the four modernizations.”

Doing a good job of building modern agriculture is not only an expectation for people's livelihood that concerns the subsistence and well-being of millions of households, but also the foundation and key that determines whether a major country can move forward smoothly on its course. We should encourage some regions to take the lead in achieving agricultural modernization, and all localities should strive to be pioneers and brave pathfinders, with emphasis on the three systems of modern agricultural industry, production and operation, following objective laws and pursuing scientific development, using agricultural modernization to pave the way and escort the dream of moderate prosperity.