Promoting Agricultural Modernization and promoting the Progress of Human Civilization

The 2015 World Expo in Milan, Italy, with the theme of "nourishing the Earth, Life Energy", opened on May 1, and the China Pavilion of the World Expo opened on the same day. In his welcome speech via video, President Xi Jinping pointed out that China is vigorously promoting agricultural modernization and is willing to exchange agricultural technology and experience with other countries to jointly safeguard world food security and jointly promote the progress of human civilization.

Xi Jinping pointed out that China attaches great importance to the problems of agriculture, rural areas and farmers and regards them as the top priority of all the work of the country. Indeed, since 2004, the No. 1 document of the Central Committee has locked in the theme of "agriculture, rural areas and farmers" for 12 consecutive years. With the strong support of decision-makers, China's rural reform has been effectively promoted, agricultural production is moving towards modernization, and farmers' living standards have been continuously improved.

However, the sustainable development of agriculture and rural areas in China has encountered the double "constraints" of resource conditions and ecological environment. How to vigorously promote the modernization of a new type of agriculture with Chinese characteristics with advanced production technology, moderate management scale, strong market competitiveness and sustainable ecological environment is a major challenge facing the highest decision-making level and all Chinese people under the new normal economy.

To vigorously promote agricultural modernization, we must speed up the transformation of the mode of agricultural development. The process of urbanization in China has entered the "deep water area". Under such a background, only by strengthening the protection of cultivated land on the basis of high-standard farmland construction can we ensure the stability of grain production. This is the great foundation for ensuring national food security and agricultural modernization. Without this great foundation, it is difficult to effectively solve the problems of agriculture, rural areas and farmers. With this great foundation, we can actively cultivate new types of agricultural operators, strengthen the construction of agricultural socialized service system, and develop various forms of appropriate scale operation.

To vigorously promote agricultural modernization, we must give full play to the radiation-driven role of the new type of urbanization. China has a vast territory and different levels of economic development. All localities should proceed from their own reality, further optimize the layout of urban and rural development planning, improve systems and mechanisms, and promote the two-way flow and benign interaction of urban and rural population, land, capital, technology and other factors. Only by developing one product per village and one product per town in a down-to-earth manner, and striving to revitalize the town by production and promote the village by town, can we promote the linkage of cities and villages and the integration of production, towns and villages, realize the two-wheel drive, mutual promotion and coordinated development of the new type of urbanization and the construction of a new countryside, and be able to effectively improve the living environment in rural areas and contribute to the construction of a "beautiful China."

To vigorously promote agricultural modernization, we must take reform and innovation as the fundamental driving force. In order to solve the problems of agriculture, rural areas and farmers, we must first earnestly enhance the awareness of opportunity, risk, and responsibility, because to further promote rural and agricultural reform and build a "smart countryside," we must not only be very active, but also very stable. To promote agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics in an all-round way, we not only need to learn from international advanced experience, but also need "approachable" independent innovation. Without reform, it will be difficult to ensure the organic unity of stabilizing grain production, broadening the channels for increasing farmers' income, and improving the sustainability of agricultural development; without innovation, it will be difficult to ensure that "reform has made progress" and "reform has been achieved."

Promoting agricultural modernization is also a protracted war, and we must insist that progress is subordinate to quality, respect the wishes of farmers, and comply with the reality of rural areas. If we seek solutions by means of reform, China's agriculture will flourish; if we plan development strategies with innovative thinking, China's rural areas will prosper; and if we speed up construction with a pragmatic style, Chinese farmers will be rich.

Promote agricultural modernization, safeguard world food security, and promote the progress of human civilization. The achievements of China's reform can stand the test of history, and China's agricultural modernization can also stand the test of the future.