China will give more support to quicken the pace of the development of agricultural production and rural areas and improve the income of farmers next year in a bid to maintain the good development momentum of the rural economy, according to a decision made by the central economic conference on Sunday.

China's rural economy has made good progress this year, thanks to many favorable factors, says the decision of the conference, held here from Friday to Sunday by the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the State Council.

With the task of maintaining the good development momentum remaining arduous, China should continue to put the rural issues on top of the Party's agenda. "Our support for the rural areas will be further strengthened next year, but not weakened," the decision says.

The decision says China will make efforts to strengthen the agricultural infrastructure construction next year and improve the living and working conditions in rural China.

According to the decision, China will continue the reform of transforming administrative fees into taxes in rural areas and explore new financing channels for agricultural development fund, in order to establish a mechanism to ensure the steady rise of farmers' income.

China will quicken the pace for agricultural technology innovation, while improving development of the grassroots organizations in rural areas and enhance the quality of rural labors to promote the development of rural economy in an all-round way, says the decision.

(Xinhua News Agency December 6, 2004)