Xi Jinping Chairs Meeting on Strengthening Protection of Cultivated Land and Utilization of Saline-Alkali Land
On the afternoon of July 20, Xi Jinping, General Secretary of the CPC Central Committee, President of the State, Chairman of the Central Military Commission, and Director of the Central Financial and Economic Commission, presided over the second meeting of the Central Financial and Economic Commission. The meeting focused on issues such as enhancing cultivated land protection and promoting the comprehensive transformation and utilization of saline-alkali land.
During the meeting, Xi Jinping delivered a significant speech, highlighting the importance of food security. He emphasized that cultivated land is the lifeblood of food production and called for the implementation of strategies to store grain and improve agricultural technology. Jinping urged for the strengthening of cultivated land protection, improvement in the quality of cultivated land, tapping into the potential of saline-alkali land utilization, expanding agricultural production space, and enhancing comprehensive agricultural production capacity.
Other high-ranking officials, including Li Qiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Premier of the State Council; Cai Qi, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and Secretary of the Secretariat of the Central Committee of the CPC; and Ding Xuexiang, Member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and Vice Premier of the State Council, also attended the meeting.
The meeting involved presentations from various ministries and departments, including the Ministry of Natural Resources, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the Central Finance Office, and the National Development and Reform Commission. They provided reports on strengthening cultivated land protection and the comprehensive transformation and utilization of saline-alkali land.
The meeting acknowledged the significance of cultivated land protection and the efforts made since the 18th National Congress of the Communist Party of China to maintain the “red line” of cultivated land. However, the meeting emphasized that challenges such as insufficient farmland, “non-grain” and “non-agricultural” arable land, and inadequate farmland water conservancy remained. Therefore, the meeting stressed the need to continue strengthening cultivated land protection.
The meeting highlighted that cultivated land protection is a comprehensive undertaking that requires equal attention to quantity and quality, strict law enforcement, systematic promotion, and sustainable use. It called for solid and practical measures, including reinforcing responsibility for cultivated land protection, improving cultivated land quality, reforming the balance system of cultivated land occupation and compensation, and mobilizing the enthusiasm of farmers and local governments. Additionally, the meeting emphasized the management of abandoned land, the exploration of non-traditional cultivated land resources, and the rectification and restoration of illegally occupied cultivated land.
Furthermore, the meeting recognized the importance of the comprehensive transformation and utilization of saline-alkali land for protecting and improving cultivated land. It emphasized the need to tap into the potential of saline-alkali land utilization, upgrade existing cultivated land affected by salinization, and develop agriculture with characteristics suitable for saline-alkali land. The meeting also reviewed and approved the “Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Comprehensive Utilization of Saline-Alkali Land”.
In conclusion, the meeting on strengthening cultivated land protection and utilization of saline-alkali land highlighted the ongoing commitment of the Chinese government to ensure food security and sustainable agricultural development. The comprehensive strategies discussed and approved during the meeting aim to address existing challenges and enhance the overall protection and utilization of China’s agricultural resources.