Filling rural shortcomings must not stop at solving immediate worries; it must also focus on the long term

Infrastructure development is a weak link in the development of impoverished areas, and it is also a key area for targeted poverty alleviation funding. If viewed only from the perspective of poverty alleviation work, raising funds to address weak links in a targeted way is indeed "precision drip irrigation"; but if viewed from the overall work situation, regardless of differences in village conditions, spending the same money on the same things for all impoverished villages is a new form of "flood irrigation." Planning for rural areas, especially impoverished areas, must also be classified in detail according to development trends and specific village conditions, planned with long-term vision using the mindset of operating a city, and ensure that one blueprint is carried through to the end

Recently, while interviewing during the process of targeted poverty alleviation, the author observed such a phenomenon: many places made great efforts to build roads, supply water, and build houses for impoverished villages, winning praise from the masses. This is originally a good deed and practical matter, bringing joy to all. But behind the joy there are hidden concerns. In recent years, a large number of rural residents have gone out to work, forming many hollow villages. If huge investments are made in construction today, would it not be wasted if people leave and villages become empty tomorrow?

This also reminds the author of a county magistrate several years ago who said that in order to improve rural schooling conditions, he spent three to four years integrating funds from various sources to build new classrooms for all rural primary schools in the county. But after they were built, he found that many schools had no students left - a large number of rural students had followed their migrant-worker parents into cities to study, and the newly built classrooms thus became idle empty rooms.

In fact, these two matters reflect one problem, namely that rural development requires long-term planning. Infrastructure development such as roads, water, electricity, and housing is a weak link in the development of impoverished villages and even rural areas, and it is also a key area for targeted poverty alleviation funding. If viewed only from the perspective of poverty alleviation work, raising funds to address infrastructure weak links in a targeted way is indeed "precision drip irrigation"; but if viewed from the overall work situation of a place, regardless of differences in village conditions, spending the same money on the same things for all impoverished villages is a new form of "flood irrigation."

There are roughly two reasons for this new "flood irrigation." Objectively, infrastructure development takes a certain amount of time from planning and construction to completion and operation, while development in many places is a dynamic process. After some projects are designed and put into operation according to the needs at the time, the local development situation has already taken on a new appearance. Some can no longer meet development needs, while others exceed actual needs. Subjectively, many places give much consideration to partial benefits and immediate benefits that are easily reflected in numbers, such as coverage rates, household connection rates, and accessibility rates, but evaluate the long-term benefits and comprehensive benefits brought by project implementation less; they also tend to consider rural development in isolation, lacking long-term planning and design for urban-rural integration.

In fact, planning for rural areas, especially impoverished areas, must also be classified in detail according to development trends and specific village conditions, planned with long-term vision using the mindset of operating a city, and ensure that one blueprint is carried through to the end. It is necessary to consider both the stage of development, basing itself on current weak links while looking to long-term trends; and to consider development models, with both inclusive support and differentiated village-specific measures.

On the one hand, filling rural shortcomings must be considered in a coordinated way with building a moderately prosperous society in all respects. Without rural moderate prosperity, especially without moderate prosperity in impoverished areas, there can be no building of a moderately prosperous society in all respects. In the coming years, development in many impoverished areas must proceed in two steps, namely poverty alleviation and moderate prosperity. Although the two are different stages, there are also many overlapping points. For example, people's incomes can be gradually supported and raised through policies and measures at different levels, while development in areas such as infrastructure can be considered in a coordinated way for both, striving to complete construction in one step and avoiding building today according to poverty alleviation standards and then demolishing two years later to build according to moderate prosperity standards.

On the other hand, filling rural shortcomings must be considered in a coordinated way with new-type urbanization. During the "13th Five-Year Plan" period, China will deeply advance people-centered new-type urbanization, enable around 100 million rural migrant workers and other permanent residents to settle in cities and towns, and guide about 100 million people to urbanize nearby in the central and western regions. Therefore, in infrastructure investment, it is also necessary to establish and improve systems and mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development, and place the focus of social undertaking development on rural areas with a relatively mature degree of development and on cities and towns that absorb a relatively large number of rural migrant workers. For "hollow villages," it is necessary to analyze population flows in advance, carry out population transfer in an orderly way, and provide guarantees during the transitional stage, avoiding one-size-fits-all investment that pursues coverage rate figures.

Investment in rural infrastructure development, especially targeted poverty alleviation funds, is hard-won in every cent, and it must be ensured that good steel is used on the blade. Because filling weak links and improving the efficiency of funds are equally important.