Shou Xiaoli:

Thank you, Mr. Han, for your introduction. Now, we will open the floor for questions. Please identify the media outlet you represent before asking your question. You may begin now.

CCTV:

The recently concluded third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has made systematic plans for further deepening reform, and rural reform is an integral part of it. Could you please tell us what the key points of the next step of reform are and how they will be advanced? Thank you.

Han Jun:

Thank you for your questions. The matters you highlighted are the focus of considerable attention across all sectors of society. We know that the recently concluded third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has made strategic plans for further deepening reform comprehensively to advance Chinese modernization. I also attended the entire third plenary session. Rural and agricultural reform occupies a considerable portion of the resolution adopted at the plenary session. The resolution dedicates an entire chapter to systematically outlining plans for promoting integrated urban-rural development. It also clarifies the key tasks of rural reform, providing important guidance and a foundation for promoting rural reform on the new journey. The MARA will thoroughly study and grasp the guiding principles of General Secretary Xi Jinping's important speeches, carefully plan and solidly implement the key tasks of agricultural and rural reform, and add momentum and vitality to all-round rural revitalization. We will focus on three aspects of work, which are also the key tasks in the three major areas of rural reform.

First, we will consolidate and improve the basic rural operation system. China's reform started in the countryside, and this year marks the 46th year of rural reform. Over these 46 years, what has been the most important achievement of rural reform? It is the establishment of the basic rural operation system. When presiding over the symposium on rural reform held in Xiaogang village of Anhui province on April 25, 2016, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that China's rural reform began with properly handling the relationship between farmers and land, and the most significant policy is that we must uphold and improve the basic rural operation system. We often say that the basic rural operation system is the cornerstone of the Party's rural policies. The basic rural operation system requires three pillar policies. First, we must uphold the collective ownership of rural land. Second, we must maintain household operations as the basis. Third, we must ensure that rural land contracting practices remain stable. The resolution adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee has outlined specific plans to consolidate and improve the basic rural operation system. The resolution stresses that we will move forward with well-organized trials to extend rural land contracts by another 30 years upon the expiration of the second-round contracts, deepen the reform to separate the ownership rights, contract rights, and management rights of contracted land, and develop appropriately scaled agricultural operations. As the second round of contracts will be extended for another 30 years upon expiration, rural land contracting practices will remain unchanged for 75 years, considering the first round of land contracts at the beginning of rural reform. This demonstrates the requirement for keeping rural land contracting practices unchanged over the long term. The MARA will act upon the arrangements of the CPC Central Committee and earnestly implement the policy of consolidating and improving the basic rural operation system, which is the major rural policy. This year, we have launched trials to extend rural land contracts in three provincial regions: Anhui, where I used to work, as well as Hunan, and Guangxi. Currently, other provinces are also conducting trials in their counties and townships. The general principle is to adhere to the overall extension of contracts and ensure that the contracted land of most farmers remains unchanged. That principle is clearly defined in the policies. Next, we will continue to guide the orderly transfer of land management rights, improve the framework for agricultural operations, enhance the commercial agricultural services, and better encourage the involvement of small agricultural households in modern agriculture. Can small agricultural households get involved in modern agriculture? That's entirely possible. Not long ago, I took a field trip to Hebei and met a 74-year-old lady. I asked her whether she still had land. She answered that she had a 6-mu (0.4-hectare) plot. I asked her whether she had rented the land out. She said no. I asked how she could till the land at her age. She explained that she found someone to help her by placing her land under a trusteeship, covering all aspects of farming. She calculates that placing the land under trusteeship can earn over 200 yuan more per mu than renting it out. She said that by doing that, she could make over 1,000 yuan more. So, why not do that? This 74-year-old lady can effectively manage her land under such commercial agricultural services. Therefore, there are diverse paths to agricultural modernization, and small agricultural households can indeed participate in modern agriculture. Here, I would also like to stress that land transfer must be conducted voluntarily, in accordance with relevant laws, and with proper compensation. Land transfer should not go against the farmers' will, harm their interests, or change the use of the land. We now have specific requirements that strictly forbid the advancement of land transfer by setting targets and tasks or by including the area and proportion of transferring land in performance assessments. In other words, no coercion should be used in relation to land transfer. This is the first key area.

Second, we will continue to put agricultural and rural development first. The resolution includes a dedicated section on "Improving supporting systems to strengthen agriculture, benefit farmers, and enrich rural areas." It makes specific arrangements such as improving the investment mechanisms for rural revitalization, optimizing the system of agricultural subsidy policies, refining the regular mechanisms for preventing rural residents from lapsing or relapsing into poverty, improving the mechanisms for ensuring the incomes of grain growers and see that the prices of grain and other major agricultural products remain at a reasonable level, and establishing an inter-provincial mechanism for major grain-purchasing areas to compensate major grain-producing areas. Prioritizing agricultural and rural development is a key strategy for addressing issues relating to agriculture, rural areas and the well-being of farmers. Specifically, this means prioritizing four areas: appointing officials, resource allocation, funding and public services. This is a clear directive from the CPC Central Committee, and we must translate these priorities into concrete reform measures. There is still much work to be done, and we will focus on implementing detailed and practical improvements. We will take stronger measures in official appointments, resource allocation, funding, and public services. These efforts will address the shortcomings in agricultural and rural development.

Third, we will continue to promote integrated urban-rural development. As General Secretary Xi Jinping emphasized, "Revitalizing rural areas should not be viewed in isolation. We should encourage the manufacturing sector and urban entities to support agriculture and rural development." We must coordinate our efforts in new industrialization, new urbanization, and all-round rural revitalization, establish and improve the institution and policy system for integrating urban-rural development, pursue greater urban-rural integration in planning, development and governance, and promote equal exchanges and two-way flows of productive factors between cities and the countryside, so as to narrow the disparities between the two and promote their common prosperity and development. Therefore, we need to work faster to grant permanent urban residency to eligible people who move from rural to urban areas, and implement the systems for allowing people to obtain household registration and access basic public services in their place of permanent residence. We will push to see that eligible people who have moved to cities from rural areas enjoy the same rights as registered local residents with regard to social insurance, housing support, and access to compulsory education for their children living with them. This is a significant policy. We will protect the lawful land rights and interests of former rural residents who now hold permanent urban residency, protect, in accordance with the law, their rights to contract rural land, use their rural residential land, and share in the proceeds from rural collective undertakings. I want to stress that current policies allow for the voluntary transfer of these rights in return for compensation, but this must be approached cautiously. For example, policies on relinquishing rural residential land rights must be prudent, ensuring farmers maintain a safety net while considering their long-term interests. The use rights of rural residential land are clearly defined by law as a privilege of rural collective economic organization members, and non-members cannot obtain these rights. This is explicitly stated in our laws and policy requirements. Using rural residential land to construct villas or private clubs is strictly prohibited. Additionally, allocating these lands to retired officials or employees returning to rural areas is forbidden. This policy baseline must be strictly adhered to. As the Resolution of the CPC Central Committee on Further Deepening Reform Comprehensively to Advance Chinese Modernization, adopted at the third plenary session of the 20th CPC Central Committee, clearly states, the current policy allows rural households to put houses under their legal ownership to good use by leasing them out, contributing them in the form of shares, and engaging in cooperative ventures. Localities can explore innovations in this regard to ensure that rural residents benefit more from the reform.

Thank you.