Urbanization Should Be Examined More from the Perspective of Agriculture, Rural Areas and Farmers

Urbanization concerns both cities and rural areas, and is a strong support for promoting coordinated development between urban and rural regions. We must adhere to a people-centered approach, examine, plan and advance urbanization more from the perspective of "agriculture, rural areas and farmers," deeply grasp the laws and characteristics of new-type urbanization, base ourselves on reality, highlight regional features and advantages, persist in coordinating urban and rural development, and strive to make the lives of both urban and rural residents better.

Safeguard the interests of farmers who move to cities. The essence of urbanization is the urbanization of people, a process in which large numbers of farmers gradually integrate into cities and become fully urbanized. We must accelerate reform of the household registration system, gradually convert eligible rural migrant populations into urban residents, and achieve equalization in public services and social security benefits. Urbanization must proceed from reality and must not be rushed like pulling up seedlings to help them grow, so as to prevent phenomena such as "forcing farmers upstairs."

Safeguard the interests of farmers who remain in villages. Cities need to develop, and rural areas also need to develop. We must guide urban talent, technology and capital to flow to the countryside in a regulated and orderly manner, actively develop new rural industries and new business forms, revitalize and make good use of idle rural assets and resources, and help farmers escape poverty, increase income and become prosperous. We must properly address problems arising in the course of urbanization such as left-behind children, left-behind women and left-behind elderly people in rural areas, and must not allow rural areas to become "hollowed out."

Hold firmly to the red line of cultivated land. "A large population with little land" is the reality of our city. In the course of urbanization, we must improve land use efficiency and prevent phenomena such as "pancake-style" urban sprawl and "zero land price" practices in attracting investment. By strictly guarding the red line of cultivated land, strengthening land use regulation, and maintaining appropriate rigidity in land supply, we can effectively curb excessive demand for urban construction land and promote economical and intensive land use.

Pay attention to preventing urban-rural "homogenization." Building a new countryside cannot use the same concept, the same approach and the same methods as those used for cities. Rural areas should not become appendages of urbanization. We must adapt measures to local conditions, exploit strengths and avoid weaknesses, highlight "rural characteristics" through scientific planning, display "rural charm" through ecological advantages, and manifest "rural humanities" through cultural connotations, concentrating the essence of traditional farming civilization, ecological civilization and modern industrial civilization, advancing the building of a beautiful countryside, and making rural areas truly prosperous.

In addition, changes in labor productivity and labor resources are important factors affecting long-term economic growth. We must deeply implement reform of the household registration system and use industrial development to attract migrant workers to return to Chongqing for employment; we must accelerate the promotion of eligible migrant workers settling in cities, further increase labor supply, improve the labor structure, and raise the potential economic growth rate; and we must guide a scientific and rational distribution of population in accordance with the development strategy of the five major functional zones, so that population and resources are optimally allocated to areas with high productivity and strong ecological carrying capacity.