The development of rural areas is a key factor for China's national rejuvenation and long-term stability, Premier Wen Jiabao said in a speech released by the State Council on Thursday.

Wen said the scheme to boost the construction of a new socialist countryside, a blueprint mapped out by the central authorities at the Fifth Plenum of the 16th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC) last October, is of great significance.

The government will work hard during the 2006-2010 time frame to improve living and production conditions in rural areas by substantially enlarging state financial coverage, he said.

Wen said the Chinese government will deepen institutional reform at the township level and financial reform at the county and township levels.

Compulsory education is also an important of the reform, he said.

Wen highlighted that the abolition of agricultural taxes, which began this year, does not necessarily mean that the burden on farmers has been lifted.

"We must guard against the manipulation of farmers in various forms," he said.

To maintain the balance between food supply and demand, Wen said, the regulations on farmland protection must be strictly observed, and preferential policies must be implemented to inspire farmers' enthusiasm for growing grain.

Land management is another crucial issue. It not only concerns rural development and stability but might also affect sustainable development of the country's overall industrialization and urbanization process, Wen said.

Wen said that land acquisition for construction projects must be strictly controlled, and farmers' property rights must be respected.

Acknowledging that migrant workers from rural areas have become a major component of the country's industrial workforce, Wen called for the improvement of their treatment, including pay, social security, vocational training opportunities and their children's education.

Public services in the countryside, including education, medical care and cultural services, have to be strengthened in the ensuing five years, Wen said.

Moreover, Wen also urged governments at all levels to make rural issues the top priority on their work agendas.

(Xinhua News Agency January 20, 2006)