China promulgated its “No.1 central document” for 2019 on Feb 19. It called for greater efforts to prioritize the development of agriculture and rural areas, and seek progress in work relating to agriculture, rural areas and rural people.

This year’s document highlights the need for rural development in view of the current economic downturn pressures, as well as the “profound changes in the external environment”.

The document calls for stable grain production and increased imports of agricultural products in regions suffering from shortages. Crucially, it mentions the protection of intellectual property rights, as well as giving agricultural scientists greater ownership over their research results.

It also introduces ways to provide more public services, such as rural logistics network, e-commerce, and Internet connections, in rural areas.

The “No. 1 central document” is the name traditionally given to the first policy statement released by the central authorities of the year, and is regarded as an indicator of policy priorities.

This is the 16th year in a row that the “No. 1 central document” has been devoted to agriculture, farmers and rural areas.