CMG reveals top 10 news for China's rural revitalization in 2024

The China Media Group (CMG) on Saturday unveiled the top 10 news stories for the country's rural revitalization in the year 2024.

1.

The 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) convened its third plenary session in Beijing from July 15 to 18, 2024. The meeting made systematic arrangements on how to promote the institutions and mechanisms for integrated urban-rural development and clarified the key tasks for agricultural and rural reform.

2.

The Central Rural Work Conference was held in Beijing from December 17 to 18. Xi Jinping, general secretary of the CPC Central Committee, Chinese president and chairman of the Central Military Commission, delivered important instructions on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers. Xi fully acknowledged the achievements in 2024 and set clear requirements for doing a good job on work related to agriculture, rural areas and farmers in 2025. He urged efforts to promote integrated urban-rural development, further deepen rural reform, improve the support system for strengthening agriculture, bringing benefits to farmers and increasing their incomes, and comprehensively promote rural revitalization.

Read more: President Xi Jinping urges deepening rural reform, building up strength in agriculture

3.

China unveiled its "No. 1 central document" for 2024 on February 3. It stressed the need to draw on and apply the experience from the Green Rural Revival Program in east China's Zhejiang Province to vigorously and effectively promote comprehensive rural revitalization.

Read more: China outlines the yearly priorities for achieving rural revitalization

4.

On the occasion of the 70th anniversary of the founding of the All China Federation of Supply and Marketing Cooperatives, Xi urged supply and marketing cooperatives to build integrated platforms that serve the production and lives of farmers and help promote the development of modern agriculture, as well as act as bridges for the Communist Party of China and the government to maintain close ties with farmers. 

Read more: President Xi stresses high-quality development of supply and marketing cooperatives

5.

China's 2024 grain output hit a record high of 1.413 trillion jin (706.5 million tonnes). This marks the first time the national grain output has exceeded the 1.4-trillion-jin threshold after nine consecutive years of production above 1.3 trillion jin.

6.

By strengthening farmland protection, improving farmland quality to expand agricultural production space and strictly observing the red line for the protection of farmland, China's total farmland reached 1.918 billion mu (128 million hectares) in 2024, marking a net increase for three consecutive years.

Read more: China sees net increase in farmland for three consecutive years

7.

China completed its largest, most extensive and most participatory national agricultural germplasm resources survey. The three-year survey, finished in 2024, clarified the types, quantities, regional distribution and characteristics of germplasm resources for crops, livestock and aquaculture.

8.

China in June released a guidance document for elderly care in rural areas, the country's first national-level plan in this field.

9.

On November 28, the Taklimakan Desert – China's largest desert and the world's second-largest shifting sand desert – was completely encircled with a sand-blocking green belt stretching 3,046 kilometers, with the greening advancing and the desert retreating in the country's Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region.

Read more: China's largest desert fully encircled with green belt

10.

In 2024, the growth rate of express delivery business volume in the central and western regions of China exceeded the national average, with a continuous increase in its proportion of the country's total. China has built over 337,800 village-level logistics service centers with multiple functions and purposes.

(Cover via CFP.)