BEIJING, Oct. 13 -- A key party session concluded in Beijing on Sunday. It focused on the issue of agriculture and rural development.

Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2008, shows all nine members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee Hu Jintao (C), Wu Bangguo (4th R), Wen Jiabao (4th L), Jia Qinglin (3rd R), Li Changchun (3rd L), Xi Jinping (2nd R), Li Keqiang (2nd L), He Guoqiang (1st R) and Zhou Yongkang (1st L) attend the third Plenary Session of the 17th CPC Central Committee, which was held from Oct. 9 to 12 in Beijing. (Xinhua/Li Xueren) Photo Gallery>>>

    Given this year is the thirtieth anniversary of the launch of opening up and reform policy, this meeting reviewed the achievements made over the past three decades, and mapped out plans for future development.

    Rural issues were the major focus of the plenum.

    Some delegates of the 17th Party Congress who work on agriculture and rural development, as well as experts on rural issues, attended the meeting as non-voting members.

    The plenum listened to, and discussed, a report by General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee Hu Jintao, who is entrusted by the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee.

    The plenum made a favorable assessment on the work of the Political Bureau this year. It stated that the Bureau has led the whole nation to achieve success in battling snow storms in southern regions of the country earlier this year and responding to the deadly May 12th Wenchuan Earthquake. Under its leadership, China also successfully hosted the Beijing Summer Olympics and the Paralympics, and carried out the successful Shenzhou Seven space mission.

    The plenum said China's overall economic development is going well, with the economy growing and the financial system developing steadily. But it said problems still exist in the national economy, in the environment of international financial unrest and the global economic slowdown.

    The plenum said China needs to adopt flexible and prudent macro-economic policies, increase domestic demands and maintain steadiness in the financial and capital market. It stated China's goal is to maintain its fast and healthy economic growth.

Photo taken on Oct. 12, 2008, shows participants listening during the third Plenary Session of the 17th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, which was held from Oct. 9 to 12 in Beijing. (Xinhua/Li Tao) Photo Gallery>>>

    The plenum also approved a decision on major issues concerning rural reform and development.

    The plenum said the Communist Party has always attached great importance to rural development. In 1978, the party adopted the policies of reforming and opening up. The plenum described how the reforms started in the country's vast rural areas and then spread across the whole nation. It said they increased rural productivity and dramatically improved the lives of rural residents.

    The plenum said that, In general, rural reforms have made great contributions to establishing and improving the country's market economy, improving people's daily lives and pushing forward modernization. The plenum stressed that rural issues must stay as top priorities for the work of the Party, and agriculture must be kept as the foundation of the national economy.

    The plenum pointed out China's reforms are at a crucial stage. It stated that new reforms are taking place in the countryside and China's agriculture development faces advantages as well as challenges while cooperating and competing on the world stage.

    The plenum set the goal of doubling this year's level of per-capita disposable income for rural residents by 2020.

    The government also plans to boost consumption of rural residents by a significant margin and eliminate absolute poverty in rural areas by 2020.

    Targets set at the plenum for rural reform and development until 2020 also included improving the system of economic growth in the countryside and establishing a mechanism to integrate urban and

    rural areas in terms of economic growth and social development.

    The Central Committee also agreed a goal to improve grassroots democracy in the countryside, and vowed to guarantee equal public services in rural areas, such as education opportunities for all rural residents, and better medical services.

    The plenum pointed out that the Party must further reform the rural economy, improve the environment and enhance institutional backing. More specifically, it noted the necessity of stabilizing the basic business system, regulating the land management system, establishing a modern financial system and promoting a democratic management system in rural areas.

    The plenum stressed that developing modern agriculture requires a push for agricultural technological progress, an improvement in productivity, international competitiveness and the utility of resources, as well as the capability for sustainable development.

    The plenum asked that the nation's food supplies be ensured, with an emphasis on quality supervision to prevent the entry of unqualified products into the marketplace. It also required that the rural infrastructure construction be solidified and a new social service system be built in rural areas.

    To build new socialist rural areas, the plenum urged the further development of its social security mechanism, including rural education, medication and housing systems. In addition, it noted the need to promote environmentally-friendly construction, to make favorable policies for the poor and the old, and to enhance anti-disaster capabilities in rural areas.

    The plenum said the Communist Party of China is the key force pushing rural reform and development forward. It asked Party committees and governments at all levels to put their work in rural areas at the top of their agendas. The plenum required that the leaders should be well established at grassroots levels. To this end, it asked the leaders to look out for the farmers, listen to their opinions, and work pragmatically on their behalf. It reiterated the necessity of fighting corruption.

    (Source: CCTV.com)