On January 30, 2008,  China promulgated its first document for 2008, calling for greater efforts to address rural problems while the nation, with a rural population of 900 million, is combating mounting inflationary pressure and striving for sustained, rapid and healthy economic growth.

The No. 1 central document ordered that an enduring mechanism for consolidating the base of agriculture should be quickly developed; great importance should be attached to grain production, and supply and demand for major farm products should be balanced with product safety guaranteed.

To achieve these goals, the document stressed that any increased spending on agriculture this year should be clearly higher than last year, the increase in fixed-asset investment in rural areas should exceed the year-earlier level and farm subsidies should be raised.

(Xinhua News Agency January 31, 2008)