Promote the organic combination of new urbanization and overall rural revitalization

At the symposium on promoting the development of the western region in the new era, General Secretary Xi Jinping stressed that we should adhere to the organic combination of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization, and ensure and improve people's livelihood in development. The promotion of new urbanization and the overall revitalization of rural areas are fundamental to people's livelihood, and have important practical significance for the high-quality development of the western region in the new era.

By the end of 2023, the urbanization rate of China's permanent population will reach 66.2%, the effect of urbanization of agricultural transfer population will be remarkable, and urban and rural areas will take on a new look. However, it should also be noted that there is still a gap between the level of urbanization in the western region and that in the eastern region, and there are still many difficulties in the integrated development of urban and rural areas. In the new era, to promote the development of the west, and to adhere to the organic combination of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization, is to ensure and improve the people's livelihood as the fundamental starting point and foothold, so as to better meet the people's aspirations for a better life.

For the western region, to promote the organic combination of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization, the first task is to consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation and prevent large-scale poverty return. At present, people's lives in poverty alleviation areas continue to improve, but factors such as weak industrial foundation, imperfect infrastructure, and shortage of capital resources still restrict the development of the western region, and efforts are still needed to consolidate and expand the achievements of poverty alleviation. Employment is the biggest livelihood. We should continue to strengthen industry and employment assistance, and stabilize the employment scale of poverty alleviation labor force. We will increase support for key areas, establish a regular support mechanism for low-income people and underdeveloped areas, consolidate the achievements of poverty alleviation, and improve the overall strength of the region.

County economy can connect urban and rural areas, drive a whole area, and provide material support for high-quality development of the western region. To promote the organic combination of new urbanization and overall rural revitalization, we should take the development of county economy as the key entry point. Industry is the foundation of county economy. We should base on resource advantages, accelerate the development of rural industries with characteristics, actively cultivate new industries and new formats, and create industrial clusters with higher levels and county characteristics. To foster and strengthen the county economy, we should also expand employment channels, promote the employment of farmers nearby and increase their income, and narrow the income gap between urban and rural residents.

To promote the organic combination of new urbanization and comprehensive rural revitalization, we should also pay attention to the integrated development of urban and rural areas, and complement urban and rural infrastructure and public services. On the one hand, we should strengthen the construction of urban and rural infrastructure. Accelerate the construction, transformation and upgrading of urban water, electricity, heat information and other pipe networks, promote the coverage of urban infrastructure to villages and households, and improve the level of rural informatization and modernization; On the other hand, we should improve the basic public service system in urban and rural areas, increase the supply of public services such as urban education, medical care, old-age care and childcare, and promote the coverage of urban public services to rural areas, so that people can enjoy better public services in rural areas. At the same time, we should promote the free and orderly flow and optimal allocation of capital, labor, land, technology, data and other elements in urban and rural areas, so as to enable the integrated development of urban and rural areas.

Adhering to the organic combination of promoting new urbanization and overall rural revitalization is not a simple way to give consideration to both urban and rural areas. Its focus is to build a new urban-rural relationship. The western region should be based on the actual situation, promote the formation of a positive interaction between urban and rural areas, adhere to the principle of "industry for agriculture" and "city for township", and contribute to the formation of a new pattern of high-quality development in the western region in the new era.