No one would deny China is confronted with an uphill struggle as the nation strives to attain its goal of balanced development.

While fast-paced growth keeps the economy humming, China has to solve the problem of inadequate development in its vast rural areas, where about two-thirds of the population live.

The Central Conference on Rural Work concluded in Beijing yesterday, having mapped out the challenges facing rural areas and providing possible solutions. It called for pushing forward the cause of "building a new countryside" and introducing measures to accelerate rural development.

Yesterday also saw the country's National People's Congress halt the regulation on agricultural tax in a Standing Committee meeting, which legally put an end to the 2,600-year-old taxation.

Both events are of immense significance in terms of the country's work in the countryside. While the central conference deals more with general agricultural work in the coming year, the legislative move reduces the burden on farmers.

Currently Chinese farmers are faced not only with the challenge of trying to increase their income and improve their standard of living, but are also wondering how to get their hands on a greater share of developmental opportunities.

This is the key platform of the Party "building a new countryside," as was hammered out at the fifth plenary session of the current Communist Party Central Committee in October and re-emphasized at yesterday's conference.

The central leadership has recently attached more importance to helping the countryside catch up with urban areas on the country's road to an ultimate balanced and harmonious society.

A sign of this policy is the emphasis the government has put on increasing farmers' income. More significantly, efforts have been redoubled to promote the social and cultural well being of farmers and create a sound development environment so that the urban-rural gap can be narrowed the underlying meaning of "building a new countryside."

To realize this goal, farmers' right to benefit more from the country's developmental opportunities must be respected.

The State should pay more attention to farmers' economic rights, without which nothing else is possible. Abolishing the agricultural tax is what farmers wanted and deserve. It is in line with the central government's policy of "giving more and taking less" regarding farmers.

It is justified as part of the "building a new countryside" drive. But what is more significant than financial considerations is that the cancellation changes the relationship between farmers and the State.

Chinese farmers have contributed tremendously to the country's industrialization and modernization. As the country's financial strength increases, it is time for the State to compensate them for their past sacrifices.

Following on from this policy decision, the government needs to further increase investment in public services in rural areas, such as education, medical care, irrigation, and transportation, which are all crucial for building a new countryside.

The government has promised to expand the co-operative medical network in rural areas and subsidize rural children's schooling. It should continue on the right track and with more vigorous strides.

We look forward to these promises being translated into concrete action. That is where the meaning of the Central Conference on Rural Work ultimately lies.

(China Daily December 30, 2005)