Editor's note: Hamzah Rifaat Hussain, a former visiting fellow at the Stimson Center in Washington and former assistant researcher at the Islamabad Policy Research Institute, is a TV anchor at Indus News in Pakistan. The article reflects the author's opinions and not necessarily those of CGTN.

Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke about advancing rural revitalization as the key to achieve agricultural and rural modernization. He gave his remarks during a tour to Shaanxi and Henan provinces in China, while demonstrating strategic wisdom that is critical for sovereign economies to remain resilient. Therefore, uninhibited and comprehensive development can materialize if all segments of society contribute to national prosperity.

In a global environment defined by supply side shocks, economic downturns and rising food insecurity in 2022, it is critical that regional centric policies get implemented in both the letter and spirit. According to the Food and Agricultural Organization's issue on the State of Food Security and Nutrition in the World 2022, recessionary trends worldwide made it challenging for sovereign governments to increase investments in agri-food systems transformation, which is vital to achieve Sustainable Development Goal 2 in efforts to embark on zero hunger.

Accordingly, indigenization and localization of policies aimed at protecting the most vulnerable communities, such as rural populations, and equipping them with the necessary tools to advance social and economic development is crucial.

Rural revitalization is anchored in President Xi's desire to have the 20th Communist Party of China (CPC) National Congress implemented in the letter and spirit. Let's recall that the National Congress has called for investing in agriculture, as well as tapping into the strong potential of rural Chinese areas. Xi also alluded to carrying the Yan'an and the Hongqi Canal Spirit forward, which signifies how independence and hard work can achieve tremendous success.

The development of Yan'an was prioritized when President Xi presided over a seminar in 2015 that focused on eliminating regional poverty and instilling a better life in the old revolutionary bases of Shaanxi Province, Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region and Gansu Province.

The Chinese President also recognized the efforts of villagers in the Ansai district of Yan'an city for adopting tools such as drip irrigation, fine management and utilization of dams to channelize water resource management in the right direction.

A sound agricultural base with high productivity that promotes a smooth supply chain of goods and services is crucial for both national industrial development and global prosperity. Similarly, boosting incomes by promoting rural tourism has allowed peripheral regions to benefit in favor of better standards of living, which requires a continuation of policies, goals and objectives as enshrined in the 20th CPC National Congress. 

The second centenary goal aimed at 2049 also speaks on the building of a prosperous, democratic, culturally advanced and harmonious society. Hence, investments in the next generation of change makers in the rural sector remain critical to realizing the goal. The 20th CPC National Congress also speaks about local empowerment for greater resilience of the agricultural and industrial sectors. This requires imparting education to upcoming generations in order to carry forward the legacies of their predecessors.

Xi recalled how in the 1960s, local residents in the Henan Province jointly built a water conservancy project to shield themselves from water scarcity and the harsh local environment. This is what constitutes President Xi Jinping's vision in 2022, as the absence of investments geared for the future, alongside lack of continuity of policy making and implementation of technologies will stymie growth and prevent national development from taking a firm foothold.

There are plenty of methods for the international community to capitalize upon the present-day challenges. President Xi's emphasis on rural revitalization in 2022 carries a crucial message for countries struggling with rising income inequalities, pervasive poverty and rampant food insecurity.

In 2022, geopolitical security challenges continue to test the resilience of domestic economies and a sound, modern and sophisticated agricultural and rural base can help ameliorate such concerns. Holistic policies geared at uplifting rural environments and embedding them into the national development framework are much needed.

Xi Jinping's vision for national prosperity deals by implementing the basic tenets of the 20th CPC National Congress, including rural revitalization, is a vital component.

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