Experts review the Research on the Modes of Improving the Living Environment in Rural China and on Relevant Policy Systems at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) on May 31. 

A group of experts held a meeting at the Institute of Agricultural Resources and Regional Planning(IARRP) of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences (CAAS) on May 31 to conduct a final review of the Research on the Modes of Improving the Living Environment in Rural China and on Relevant Policy Systems, which is a subordinate program affiliated to the Economic Transformation and Institutional Capacity Building Project for China, a World Bank Loan TCC6 initiative.

The expert panel was composed of Shen Yujun, a researcher with the Institute of Rural Energy and Environmental Protection of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Planning and Engineering under the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs (MARA), Liu Jianguo, a professor with Tsinghua University, Gong Qianwen, a professor with Beijing Forestry University, Feng Huijuan, a researcher with the Chinese Research Academy of Environmental Sciences. They spoke highly of the program's final findings and put forward specific advice on data analysis, problem diagnosis and the selection of case studies.

During the review meeting, officials with the MARA Department of Rural Social Services explained the importance of improving the living environment in rural areas to China’s rural revitalization and specified the necessity as well as significance of the implementation of the subordinate program.

Yin Changbin, a professor with the IARRP under the CAAS, whose research team was selected as an advisory body of the subordinate program, delivered a detailed report on the progress of inspection tours conducted by his teammates in 21 counties of Anhui, Jilin, Gansu, Shandong, Guizhou and Zhejiang provinces, as well as case studies and their final findings and policy proposals.

The subordinate program on improving rural living environments was implemented in December 2019 and will come to an end in October this year. It is designed to sum up classical models, successful experiences and achievements made by China in the improvement of living environments in rural areas during the 13th Five-Year Plan period (2016-20). It will innovatively explore the further development of relevant mechanisms, and come up with proposals to better improve the living environment for rural residents during the 14th Five-Year Plan period (2021-25).

As the management department of the subordinate program, the MARA Foreign Economic Cooperation Center gave specific advice for its implementation, handover results and work plans in the next step. The center will work with its advisory body, spare no efforts to ensure that all case studies depict a true and panoramic picture of the improvement of the living environment in rural areas, draw inspiration from the international experience, strengthen cooperation and coordination with central and regional authorities, and boost the willingness of farmers to get fully involved in a move to translate policy proposals into reality, publish relevant findings, and completely accomplish all set targets.

Those in attendance at the meeting also included Li Zhiping, deputy-director of the Foreign Economic Cooperation Center in the MARA, Wu Di, an inspector from the Department of Rural Social Services in the MARA, Hao Weiping, deputy director-general of the CAAS Department of International Cooperation, Li Wencai, deputy Party chief of the CAAS IARRP, Zheng Jiang, project officer of the CAAS IARRP, and members of the advisory body for the project, headed by Yin.

Attendees pose for a group photo at the meeting