President builds faith in rural revitalization

President Xi Jinping’s important speech on rural revitalization has boosted the confidence of the deputies to the National People’s Congress and encouraged them to engage in the revitalizing agenda.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, said on Thursday that the rural revitalization strategy is the leading agenda for government work on agriculture, rural areas and rural residents.

Local authorities should have a profound understanding of the strategy’s importance and necessity and implement it earnestly, Xi said as he joined a panel discussion with lawmakers from Shandong province at the top legislature’s annual session.

Zhuo Changli, an NPC deputy for Shandong, said she was deeply impressed by Xi’s familiarity with rural life and the living conditions of farmers.

“He knows everything about rural life, including farmland, plants, the differences in toilets in southern China and northern China, weather, folk customs and so on,” said Zhuo, who is also the founder of a housekeeping company called Sunshine Elder Sister in Jinan, the capital of Shandong.

“When General Secretary Xi talks about rural revitalization strategy, we people in the masses have always been in his heart,” she added.

During the panel discussion, Zhuo spoke of the life and work of housekeeping employees, mostly from the rural areas. Xi asked her about the income of housekeepers and babysitters.

“It seems that everything is a family affair for him. He is really our great leader,” Zhuo said after the discussion.

Zhang Xinwen, an NPC deputy and also director of Shandong’s Development and Reform Commission, said Xi’s speech has boosted his confidence in building richer and stronger rural areas.

“General Secretary Xi has set requirements on six aspects of rural revitalization in such areas as industry, culture and human resources, and his instruction has great significance in guiding our work,” he said.

Chen Xueping, an NPC deputy, said she felt that the Party and government have taken every aspect and detail, such as the renovation of rural toilets, into consideration in implementing the rural revitalization strategy.

“It is very thoughtful of General Secretary Xi to consider these trivial things for the people,” said Chen, who is also a painter for a real estate company in Jinan.

“I come from the rural area, and I feel good about the development of different aspects such as environmental protection in the past five years,” she added.