No.1 central document still focuses on rural issues

China's first central document of the year is expected to be released soon.Chinese leaders' visits to rural areas during the New Year holiday have sparked predictions that China's No. Document in 2010 will still focus on rural development.

The first document of the year, dubbed the "Number One Document", is jointly issued by the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council.

The government continued the trend started in 2004 of tackling rural problems in its first document of the year.

Economists predict this year's paper will focus on stabilizing grain production, increasing farmers' incomes, consolidating the foundation of agriculture and deepening other reforms.

The prediction comes after Chinese leaders' visits to rural areas during the New Year holiday.

President Hu Jintao met with villagers in northern China's Hebei Province on New Year's Day. During his visit, he urged governments at all levels to give priority to agriculture and rural issues. He told local farmers that this year's "Number One Document" will include a raft of new policies to support agricultural development.

Meanwhile, in northeastern Heilongjiang Province, Premier Wen Jiabao promised farmers to increase the minimum purchase price of rice again this year. Wen also called for greater efforts to narrow the income gap between urban and rural workers by improving migrant workers' conditions and farmers' overall living standards.

The annual central conference on rural work held last month set the tone for this year's agricultural and rural development. The meeting stressed that China's rural development still faces hurdles... and that 2010 will be tough year.

Experts say the central government is likely to maintain its rural policies, but will boost efforts on a wider scale to improve the agricultural sector.

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EXPERTS' FORECAST ON NO.1 DOCUMENT

KEYNOTES: Stabilizing grain production

Increasing farmers' incomes

Consolidating the foundation of agriculture

Deepening reforms