All-around rural revitalization vital for developed and previously impoverished regions: expert

The all-around rural revitalization is crucial for both developed regions and those that have shaken off poverty, with new growth drivers emerging for rural areas, said an expert when interpreting the annual central rural work conference held in Beijing from Tuesday to Wednesday.

The conference emphasized the need to learn from and apply the experience from the Green Rural Revival Program to advance rural revitalization in all respects.

In June 2003, east China's Zhejiang Province launched the Green Rural Revival Program, which plans to renovate about 10,000 incorporated villages and transform about 1,000 central villages among them into examples of moderate prosperity in all respects.

Ye Xingqing, a senior researcher at the Development Research Center of the State Council, said all-around rural revitalization can be comprehended from various dimensions.

First, the revitalization encompasses various aspects such as economic, political, social, cultural, and ecological development, along with Party building. Second, the measures to promote rural revitalization are also comprehensive, including revitalization in industries, organizations, talents, ecology, and culture, according to the expert.

"An important element of all-around rural revitalization is that, in terms of regions, both developed regions and those pulled out of poverty are faced with the new task of rural revitalization. Especially in regions lifted out of poverty, it is essential to align efforts to consolidate achievements in the battle against poverty with those to promote all-around rural revitalization," Ye said.

As the focus of work related to agriculture, rural areas, and rural residents shifts towards promoting all-around rural revitalization, a series of new changes has taken place in China's agriculture and rural areas in recent years, and new growth drivers for rural areas are gradually taking shape.

"This includes new business models, such as the use of digital and smart technologies to transform traditional industries, which many regions are embracing. There have also been new developments in boosting rural consumption and investment markets. For instance, in the first to third quarters of 2024, retail sales of consumer goods in rural areas have shown a growth rate surpassing that of urban areas," Ye said.

All-around rural revitalization vital for developed and previously impoverished regions: expert

The Global Mayors Dialogue opened in Harbin, capital of northeast China's Heilongjiang Province on Tuesday, bringing together mayors and senior city officials from across Europe, Asia, and North America to have in-depth exchanges on practical approaches to developing the ice and snow economy.

Held under the theme "Connecting the World with Ice and Snow, Win-Win Cooperation for a Shared Future", the three-day event gathered mayors, deputy mayors, and mayoral representatives from cities across the globe, including Canada, Finland, Germany, Greece, the Republic of Korea, Thailand, and Türkiye, focusing on the ice and snow economy, cultural integration, smart city development, heritage preservation, and urban governance.

The event featured a main dialogue and a scenario-based dialogue salon to foster in-depth exchanges and spark new ideas. Guests are invited to visit iconic sites such as the Harbin Ice and Snow World and attend the opening ceremony and trade events of the Harbin Ice and Snow Economy Expo, which are showcasing Harbin's achievements in building an ice and snow economy brand, strengthening international exchanges and cooperation, and inheriting ice and snow culture.

Harbin, called China's "ice city", has turned its long, cold winters into a major tourist attraction. Last winter, it welcomed a record 90.36 million visitors, generating 137.22 billion yuan (about 19.44 billion U.S. dollars) in revenue, a year-on-year increase of 16.6 percent.

International mayors gather in Harbin to explore ice and snow economy