President Hu Jintao on Tuesday called on provincial and ministerial heads to take concrete steps towards boosting rural development.

"Building a new socialist countryside is a major historic mission set by our Party," Hu, who is also the general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, told a seminar.

He asked all CPC members and the nation to work together to make the drive "a project for the people" that truly benefits China's farmers.

Members of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee (the Standing Committee) Wu Bangguo, Wen Jiabao, Jia Qinglin, Wu Guanzheng, Li Changchun and Luo Gan also attended the opening ceremony of the seminar chaired by Zeng Qinghong, who is a member of the Standing Committee, China's vice president, and president of the Party School of the CPC Central Committee.

Hu said that in building a well-off society in an all-round way, the most arduous tasks are in the countryside. To accelerate China's modernization, it is imperative that it properly handles the relationships between industry and agriculture, and between urban and rural areas.

Hu defined the major tasks for building a new socialist countryside for now and over the next few years as follows:

-- Comprehensively strengthen the productive forces of the countryside.

-- Make "increasing farmers' income" a central task.

-- Boost grassroots democracy in the countryside and improve transparency in village affairs.

-- Boost spiritual civilization and accelerate the development of education and culture in rural areas to cultivate "new type" farmers.

-- Boost harmony, caring for the lives of farmers, improving health and strengthening social administration in the countryside.

-- Push forward reform in various fields to enhance the vitality of agricultural and rural development.

Hu called on Party committees and governments at all levels to start with "matters that farmers care the most about and are most anxious to address, and matters that will produce effects most easily", at the same time bringing constant concrete benefits to farmers.

He asked all cadres to care about the sufferings of the farmers, respect their wishes, safeguard their interests and enhance their well-being.

The seminar, held at the Party School of the CPC Central Committee, was attended by the heads of provinces, ministries and other organizations.

(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2006)