Action plan to roll out more construction in rural areas

Digital technology to better integrate with production, life, governance

China has released an action plan on rural construction, aiming to improve people's livelihoods in rural areas and boost the country's rural vitalization drive.

The plan, jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council, proposed strengthening infrastructure construction.

Construction projects will cover roads, water supply, energy, logistics, informatization, rural housing, comprehensive services and living environment.

Though China has made achievements in improving rural infrastructure and public services, a gap remains in the current living conditions with villagers' growing needs for a better life.

An official with the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group said one of the basic goals of rural construction is to improve the production and living conditions in rural areas.

The level and standard can vary from village to village, with the focus of ensuring basic needs and solving key problems, the official said.

China should implement projects to construct digital villages and promote the deep integration of digital technologies with rural production and life.

Some villages have been exploring digital techniques to improve rural governance. With the help of Xiaoshan city in Zhejiang province, Wangcang county in Sichuan province launched a digital village platform to facilitate government services, saving villagers' time and improving the efficiency of rural governance.

"Rural construction includes not only infrastructure in rural areas, but also rural governance, the sustainable development of rural industries, public services and the building of better rural societies," Li Xiaoyun, a chair professor at China Agricultural University, told Xinhua News Agency.

Rural construction should be farmer-oriented, the plan highlighted.

Local authorities should motivate and guide farmers to participate in rural construction throughout the process, while protecting their rights, according to the plan.

Farmers are the main characteristic of rural production and life. The key to rural construction is to mobilize farmers and establish a bottom-up participation mechanism, the official with the leading group said.

Yu Fawen, a researcher at the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said the greater involvement of villagers in construction projects, such as renovating rural toilets and greening the environment, will be the next focus.

Although sanitary toilet facilities are now available in around 70 percent of rural areas, Yu said that without knowing the usage rate of these toilets, it's difficult to know if they are effective in meeting villagers' needs.

The plan stipulates that local authorities must not arbitrarily merge villages to create larger communities, or carry out large-scale demolition and construction against farmers' wishes.

The official with the leading group said construction goals and tasks should be set in line with local economic development and local culture.

The plan said governments should inherit and protect traditional village dwellings and unique customs. The rural style with local characteristics is expected to be preserved in case of rigid copying of urban construction models, it added.