Xi orders countrysides nationwide to be made beautiful

BEIJING: President Xi Jinping has demanded nationwide efforts to emulate the transformation of Zhejiang province in building a beautiful countryside to increase the sense of gain and happiness for all rural residents.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, said Zhejiang has made constant efforts during the past 15 years to improve the rural living environment, creating “tens of thousands of beautiful villages”.

“As I have said on many occasions, developed and underdeveloped areas should all get involved in improving the rural environment, though the standards may vary,” Xi said.

During the implementation of a three-year campaign to improve the rural living environment, the country must popularise Zhejiang’s experience, he said, adding that measures should be targeted and adjusted to local conditions.

Zhejiang, where Xi’s “Two Mountains” theory in which clear waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets comparable to the gold and silver mountains of legend was originated, has taken the lead in rural vitalisation since 2003, when it implemented a project to overhaul the living environment of villages.

At the end of last year, 97% of villages in the province had been overhauled.

“Through implementing the rural vitalisation strategy, the longtime imbalance in the development of China’s urban and rural areas and the insufficiency in China’s rural area development will be addressed,” said Huang Zuhui, dean of the China Academy for Rural Development at Zhejiang University. — China Daily / Asia News Network