Theoretically based on historical materialism, the historical initiative of the Communist Party of China (CPC) is a precious character of creating new prospects amid changing circumstances consciously and proactively to acquire benefits for Chinese people. Integrated into its centenary history and showing highlights in different historical periods, the CPC’s historical initiative features dialectical unity between problem orientation and mission pursuit, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, regularity and consciousness, as well as the leadership of the CPC and the pioneering spirit of the people. To accomplish the Second Centenary Goal and advance national rejuvenation, the CPC will follow the path of socialism with Chinese characteristics under the guidance of Marxism, stay committed to achieving national rejuvenation, unite and rely on the people, and stimulate the spirit of innovation and creation, thereby pooling more proactive spiritual strengths to make greater contributions in the new era.
Over the past century, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has led hundreds of millions of farmers through five stages (rural revolution, rural construction, rural reform, rural transformation and rural revitalization) to forge a road of rural development with Chinese characteristics. In the course of constant exploration and innovation, the CPC has always adhered to its original aspiration and founding mission of seeking happiness for the farmers, taken liberating and developing the productive forces as the central principle, regarded coordinating urban and rural development as the action guideline, and set “achieving common prosperity” as the target direction, and accumulated valuable historical experiences in three aspects: Firstly, the CPC has emphasized the vital role and pioneering spirit of farmers, effectively mobilizing and organizing the broad participation of rural masses. Secondly, it has committed to the collective ownership of rural land and managed the relationship between farmers and land. Lastly, the CPC has remained focused on the interests of farmers, continuously advancing reform and innovation in accordance with the changing times.
This paper analyzes rural revitalization under the goal of common prosperity. Firstly, on the basis of making clear what common prosperity is in the new era along with its connotation, the connotation of rural revitalization under the goal of common prosperity is systematically delved into six dimensions: subject, motivation, content, path, process, and goal. Secondly, the intrinsic relationship between common prosperity and rural revitalization is examined from the perspectives of rural revitalization, common prosperity, and development. Thirdly, grounded on theoretical analysis, this paper outlines strategic key points for rural revitalization under the goal of common prosperity upon applying designing principles to practice.
Demonstration creation for rural vitalization is an important part of the rural vitalization strategy of the central leadership. This paper offers a systematic exposition of the theoretical logic of demonstration creation in objective necessity, methodology value, key path of reform and in novation, multiple functions. An analysis is conducted of the advancing path of demonstration creation from building consensus, clarifying goals and requirements, and coordinated advance. Further, it depicts a roadmap for the creation of model villages, covering characteristic industry development, rural ecological livability, rural civilization, increase in rural income, village-level social undertakings and effective governance led by the building on the Communist Party of China. On this basis, it offers policy suggestions on responsibility implementation, basic adherence, process management and monitoring evaluation to promote demonstration creation in a vigorous, orderly and effective manner. Hopefully, it is of guiding significance for the “100-county, 1000-town and 10,000-village” demonstration creation for rural revitalization across the country.
The rural revitalization strategy represents a quantum leap in both the theory and practice of rural development in China, and serves as a crucial solution to address the array of challenges facing rural areas. Multi-dimensionally, the rural revitalization strategy sets out the general requirements of “building rural areas with thriving businesses, pleasant living environments, good social civility, effective governance, and prosperity,” which echo the measures of new urbanization: efficient, green, humanistic, well-governed, and inclusive. Specifically, “building rural areas with prosperity” aligns with the development requirement of urban-rural dual structure theory; “building rural areas with thriving businesses” meets the development requirement of the industrial division of labor and integration theory; “building rural areas with pleasant living environments and good social civility” follows the development requirement of sustainable development theory; and “building rural areas with effective governance” tallies with the development requirement of rural governance theory. Urbanization theory, urban-rural dual structure theory, the industrial division of labor and integration theory, sustainable development theory, and rural governance theory serve as crucial theoretical references for the rural revitalization strategy, helping make clear its conceptual underpinnings.
To promote rural revitalization on the basis of consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation after fulfillment of the objectives and tasks of poverty alleviation, it requires not only a smooth transformation of the working system, but a the transfer and continuity of micro policies. As the local practice shows, since the focus of the “tri-agriculture” work has shifted, the local governments have carefully implemented the decisions and deployments of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China (CPC). In terms of the leadership system, system design, institutional teams, assessment mechanism and financial support, they have registered positive progress in the effective linkage of consolidating and expanding the achievements in poverty alleviation with rural revitalization. Meanwhile, they have been confronted in practice with the problems and difficulties of inadequate cognition of the effective linkage of the two strategies, incompatibilities of the responsibilities and capabilities of the departments at all levels, insufficient consideration of regional discrepancies, weak program guidance and assessmenting and openness to optimization of the poverty-alleviating assets management and utilization. It is advised to further deepen the cognition of linkage promotion, clarify the leadership system and assignment of responsibilities, differentiate the tempo and direction of linkage, strengthen the planning leadership and assessment application, and optimize the poverty-alleviating assets management and utilization mechanism to implement the effective linkage of the two strategies.
Digital economy, a new driving force for China’s economic development, creates a good opportunity for rural revitalization. This paper begins with a theoretical analysis of the impact of the digital economy on rural revitalization. Based on panel data from 30 provinces and cities in China from 2011 to 2018, as well as measurement-based digital economy development Index and rural revitalization index, the empirical test is conducted of the driving effect, mechanism and heterogeneity of digital economy on rural revitalization. Results show that the digital economy has a significant driving effect on rural revitalization, a conclusion that still holds even after taking into account endogenous problems and conducting a series of robustness tests. Technological innovation and human capital constitute the important mechanism for the digital economy to drive rural revitalization. Furthermore, the digital economy has a spatial spillover effect on rural revitalization, that is, it can promote rural development in neighboring areas. As regards various dimensions of rural revitalization, the digital economy can significantly promote ecological livability, civilized rural style, effective governance and prosperity. But its impact on the industrial boom is yet to appear. The western region enjoys more digital economy dividends in rural revitalization are more significant than central and eastern regions. Rural revitalization requires the government to deepen the integration of the digital economy and agriculture and implement a differentiated digital economy development strategy.