Editor's note: China will hold its annual Two Sessions in early March. Ahead of this year's key political meetings, CGTN presents a special series, China Agenda, offering multi-angle insights into China's whole-process people's democracy, its socio-economic achievements, and the development vision outlined in the 15th Five-Year Plan.

As the Chinese New Year celebrations unfolded in Duan Village, located in the mountainous region of Linfen City in north China's Shanxi Province, the air was filled with the rhythmic sound of drums and gongs.

Over the past few years, the village, with a population of more than 1,000, has experienced a transformation, driven by the rapid development of solar power, livestock farming and other key local industries. In 2025, the village's sheep farming base surpassed 500,000 yuan (nearly $72,496) in annual revenue, marking a historic high. The local solar power station brought in 400,000 yuan, further boosting the incomes of its residents.

"In recent years, roads have been paved, tap water has reached every home, and facilities for dining, playing chess, and exercising have been built for the elderly. Our lives are getting better every day," villager Cai Wenming told CMG.

This transformation reflects China's ongoing efforts to modernize agriculture and promote rural revitalization.

New phase in rural revitalization

The five years since China declared the eradication of absolute poverty in 2021 marked a period of consolidating and expanding these gains. During this post-poverty period, agricultural and rural modernization came into sharp focus as a key lever for preventing social and economic relapse. 

Notable achievements of this transition period include 832 poverty-stricken counties developing two to three leading industries generating a total output value exceeding 1.7 trillion yuan, Han Wenxiu, head of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said. Nearly three-quarters of their previously impoverished population now has income links to new agricultural enterprises.

This year kicks off the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) and a new phase of rural revitalization. Early in February, China released its "No. 1 central document" for 2026 – the first major policy directive in the plan – focusing on strengthening weak links in agriculture and rural areas to accelerate China's rural modernization.

Pursuing sustainable and modern rural economy

The document prioritizes regular and targeted assistance against poverty relapse.

Measures such as regular assistance programs and expanding the use of drones and robotics in agriculture are among the initiatives introduced.

Lin Wanlong, vice president of China Agricultural University, told CMG the biggest difference lies in "regular" when commenting on the "implementation of regular and targeted assistance measures." 

The core of "regular and targeted assistance measures" is "big stability with small adjustments." He explained that while previous measures have been effective, they need to be stabilized, with minor adjustments to optimize specific policies for better results.

Meanwhile, the expansion of agricultural technologies, including drones and robotics, is seen as a critical step in modernizing farming. Data from the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs showed that in 2025, the contribution rate of agricultural scientific and technological progress exceeded 64 percent and the number of agricultural drones in use has topped 300,000 units, with their annual operation area having surpassed 460 million mu (nearly 31 million hectares).

Fan Danyang, who runs a farm in east China's Ningbo City, noted that drone use has significantly improved farming efficiency. Previously, a laborer would spend 12 hours fertilizing about 20 mu a day, but now, one drone and its operator, assisted by a worker, can fertilize 200 mu in a day with minimal effort.

Tu Shengwei, a researcher at the National Development and Reform Commission, said that intelligent agricultural machinery, drones, and robots are transforming farming from reliance on manual labor and experience to data-driven management and algorithm-based efficiency.

Addressing rural development imbalances

Despite progress, challenges such as the urban-rural divide and uneven development between villages persist. A large number of rural laborers continue migrating to cities, but the proportion of those returning to start businesses remains low.

In 2025, the rural resident population in China was 451 million, a decrease of 13.69 million compared to 2024 and a 47.5 percent drop from the peak in 1995, Zhu Weidong, deputy head of the Office of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, said at a press conference. He added that rural migration to urban areas will continue, with village development diverging due to differences in resource endowments and allocation capabilities.

Addressing this reality, the central document calls for promoting the two-way flow of urban and rural factors and introduces the concept of "regional clustering" for rural revitalization.

Tu emphasized that grouping neighboring villages with similar industries under a regional model ensures better resource allocation and collaborative development.

As for the promotion of the two-way flow of urban and rural factors, well-educated young people are joining the farming ranks with new ideas and skills after leaving the big cities for the countryside.

In Xuchang City, central China's Henan Province, new farmer Yin Deshan established an agricultural cooperative that operates over 500 greenhouses, generating annual revenues exceeding 26 million yuan.

In southwest China's Sichuan Province, Liu Yanying, party chief of Longen Village and also a deputy to the 14th National People's Congress, planned to submit a proposal at the upcoming Two Sessions, advocating for more investment in rural industries and talent attraction.

Liu said, "Once the environment improves and people can earn a decent living, more individuals will return to the countryside to build and develop it. This dual progress, with both people and villages advancing together, will make rural revitalization more secure and sustainable."

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