A farmer of the Miao ethnic group picks coffee beans at a coffee plantation in Simao, Yunnan province. [Photo/Xinhua] A strategy to vitalize China's countryside, put forward by the top leadership in October, is expected to get a substantial boost at an approaching key meeting on rural development, experts said. The strategy will be high on the agenda of the Central Rural Work Conference, and experts have highlighted the importance of using environmentally friendly methods. The annual gathering, which sets the tone for the next year's agricultural and rural development, usually is held before year's end. Promoting green agricultural production is a major aspect of the rural vitalization strategy, which can help solve problems caused by traditional production modes, such as environmental pollution in rural areas, said Wen Tiejun, an economist and professor of agricultural development at Renmin University of China in Beijing. Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences' Rural Development Institute, said agricultural supply-side reform, including transforming development to stress quality and environmental protection, is also likely to be a focus. The rural strategy, put forward during the 19th National Congress of the Communist Party of China in October, urged development of agriculture and a pleasant living environment in rural areas as priorities. In the past, we ... did not invest enough in pollution prevention and control in rural areas. But the situation has improved in the past five years, Yang Weimin, deputy head of the Office of the Central Leading Group on Financial and Economic Affairs, said during the congress. I believe that in the future, equal importance will be given to environmental improvement in urban and rural areas, he said. China will give priority to ecological and environmental protection while developing agricultural projects, so the environment in rural areas will keep improving and the supply of green and safe products will see a big improvement by 2030, according to a guideline released by the State Council in September. The Ministry of Agriculture will make more efforts to promote organic fertilizers to replace synthetic fertilizers in the production of fruits, vegetables and tea over the next few years, according to a ministry circular released in April. It is expected that use of synthetic fertilizers will be decreased by 20 percent or more by 2020 in areas where fruits, vegetables and tea are the primary agricultural products, the circular said. Liu Xu, vice-president of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, said agricultural development faces pressing challenges caused by a worsening ecology, such as erosion of fertile soil in northeastern regions, water scarcity in North China and heavy metal pollution in some southern parts of China. Green production is necessary for a sustainable development of agriculture, to ensure China's food security and to modernizing China's agriculture, he said. A major task to promote green agricultural production for the rural revitalization strategy is to cultivate talent, Wen said. Fundamental changes are needed in agricultural education ... to really promote green and sustainable agriculture. wristbands canadarubber band braceletsevent wristbands
Lancang-Mekong leaders' meeting central to agendaChina will expand cooperation with countries along the Mekong River in water resources, production capacity, agriculture and medical care as Premier Li Keqiang is scheduled to attend the second Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting during a two-day trip to Cambodia.Li is to attend the second Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting and pay an official visit to Cambodia from Wednesday to Thursday, Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang said on Thursday.Li will co-chair the meeting with Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and join leaders from Laos, Myanmar, Thailand and Vietnam in reviewing cooperative achievements and exchanging views on ties in the future, the spokesman said.The first such meeting was chaired by Li in March in Sanya, Hainan province, after the annual meeting of Boao Forum for Asia.Vice-Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said at a news briefing on Thursday that Premier Li's visit will be the first diplomatic trip by a Chinese leader to a neighboring country this year.The Lancang-Mekong Cooperation Leaders' Meeting was proposed by Li in 2014 during the 17th China-ASEAN leaders' meeting in Myanmar.The six countries have expanded cooperation in fields such as connectivity, production capacity, cross-border economy and energy, Kong said.A special fund was initiated last year to support 162 projects and 11 production capacity projects are under construction, he said.In the first 10 months of last year, China's trade with the other five countries hit $177 billion, up by 15.6 percent compared with the same period in 2016. Each week, more than 2,500 flights are flown between the six countries.Lancang-Mekong cooperation is a vital part of China's ties with the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, and China will continue supporting ASEAN in building a regional community, Kong said.During his official visit to Cambodia, the premier will meet Cambodian King Norodom Sihamoni and have talks with Hun on bilateral cooperation, Geng said.This year marks the 60th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and Cambodia, and the two have maintained political trust and firmly supported each others' core interests, Kong said.Li and Cambodian leaders will exchange views on international and regional issues and the two countries will sign cooperative agreements in fields such as agriculture, technologies and infrastructure, Kong said.Leaders from both countries are expected to further consolidate friendship and the comprehensive strategic partnership, the vice-minister [email protected]
