Wang Chunzheng, vice minister of the State Development Planning Commission, told a press conference that the disparity of development between rural and urban areas is a critical issue that China has to face in its economic and social development, adding that solving the issue will have to go through a fairly arduous procedure.

This year the government will make efforts in four aspects to narrow the gap:

-- Restructuring agricultural products in accordance with market demand;

-- Carrying out taxing and fee charging reforms in the whole country to alleviate farmers' financial burden;

-- Investing more in rural infrastructure construction to improve farmers' production and living conditions; and

-- Continuing to push forward the drive of urbanization to create conditions for surplus rural labor force to find jobs in towns and cities.

(Xinhua News Agency March 8, 2003)