The Chinese authorities have called for efforts to boostcultural development in rural areas, stressing it concerns thenational endeavor to build a moderately prosperous society in anall-round way.

A document jointly issued by the general offices of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council, which was made public Sunday says boosting cultural development in the countrysideis a major part of the national effort to create a harmonioussociety in the country.

It is "an effective way" to build a socialist new countrysideand meet the needs of rural residents for spiritual and culturalproducts, and is of great importance to enhancing the Party'sgovernance capabilities, promoting economic growth and socialprogress in rural areas, the document says.

The main problems hindering cultural development in thecountryside lie in backward infrastructure facilities for culturalactivities, insufficient cultural products and imparities incultural development between urban and rural areas, it says.

As for the targets, it says that after five years of efforts,cultural infrastructure facilities will become comparativelycomplete and public cultural services will be enhanced, with therural cultural work system straightened out and existing culturalresources effectively used.

The problem that farmers find it difficult to have books toread, stage shows, films and TV programs to watch and radioprograms to listen to will be basically solved, the documentsays.

By the year 2010, all the villages with more than 20 householdwhich now have electricity supply will have access to TV and radiobroadcast. For this purpose, the central finance will givefinancial support to poverty-stricken areas in central and westernChina, especially Xinjiang, Tibet, Inner Mongolia, Ningxia,Qinghai, Gansu, Yunnan and Sichuan.

The government will basically reach the goal that film is shownin every village of the country once a month by the year 2010, whencultural center and library is available in every county,comprehensive cultural center in every town and culturalestablishment in every village.

The government will support some publishing houses to publish more popular readings that farmers can afford and understand, whilepurchasing through public bidding books for rural cultural centersin major counties.

Leading media in the country, such the People's Daily, China National Radio and China Central Television, are required toimprove services for farmers.

The government also promises to support the cultural activitiesof rural residents, to intensify efforts to sift local culturalresources and protect the fine ones, including traditional folkpaper cuttings, paintings, porcelain, clay figures, weaving,dramas, acrobatics, lanterns, dragon boats and lion and dragondances.

The document also calls for innovations in systems andmechanisms for cultural development in rural areas, includingreform of state-owned cultural institutions and encouragement offarmers to run cultural entities to serve rural residents.

While strengthening policy regulation on the rural culturalmarket, the government will strike hard on illegal activitiesrelated to pornography and superstition in rural areas.

The document calls on the whole society to support culturaldevelopment in rural areas by organizing performing tours, donatingTV sets, radios, computers and books, magazines and audiovisualproducts that rural residents need, encouraging college graduatesto go to the countryside to serve farmers.

While strengthening the leadership to promote the work,governments at all levels should increase financial input, ensurefund supply for key cultural facilities and increase the number ofcultural workers in rural areas, says the document, which alsocalls on government departments concerned to shoulder theirresponsibility for the work.

(Xinhua News Agency December 12, 2005)