A grand gathering is held to mark the nation's poverty alleviation accomplishments and honor model poverty fighters at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, capital of China, Feb. 25, 2021. (Xinhua/Ding Lin)

RURAL VITALIZATION

Building on its victory in eradicating poverty, China is moving on to push for higher-level development in its rural areas.

Shaking off poverty is not the finish line, but the starting point of a new life and new endeavor, Xi said in the speech, demanding efforts to consolidate poverty alleviation achievements and initiate a dovetailing drive of "rural vitalization."

The rural vitalization strategy was proposed as a key move for the development of a modernized economy at the 19th CPC National Congress in 2017.

More detailed plans of the strategy were unveiled in the Party leadership's proposals for formulating an economic and social development plan for the 2021-2025 period and long-term goals through the year 2035.

China on Thursday inaugurated a new cabinet body on promoting rural vitalization, which was transformed from the State Council Leading Group of Poverty Alleviation and Development.

In his speech, Xi said efforts must be made to prevent any large-scale relapse into poverty, and identifying solutions to problems concerning agriculture, rural areas and farmers must be the top priority of the Party's work.

"China will attach greater importance to the pursuit of common prosperity," he said.

(Video Editor: Liu Xiaorui)