Every year, China releases the No. 1 document, outlining China’s strategic priorities for rural development. This year’s No. 1 document emphasizes the necessity of advancing rural revitalization as to achieve Chinese modernization. Food security remains a top priority and there’s an increased focus on sustainability, resilience, and food structure optimization. Digitalization and modernization are more deeply woven into all rural strategies. The document is divided into 6 major sections, each with specific actions items.
Enhancing the Supply Security of Grain and Other Essential Agricultural Products
To achieve this goal, some of the most important actions mentioned are:
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Boost crop yields (also by approval of GMO crops) and expand planting area of grain and oilseed crops like soybeans and peanuts
- Stabilize livestock production, especially pigs and dairy livestock, in response to overproduction. National standards for sterilized milk will be implemented (to limit imports of milk powder)
- Strictly protect and enhance farmland quality, and combat illegal land use.
- Increase agricultural R&D and mechanization.
- Support food security policies in the form of subsidies, insurance and market regulation.
- Improve disaster resilience and rural water infrastructure
- Promote diversified food sources, reduce food waste and advocate healthy diets.
Compared to the 2024 document, we see a continued focus on grain output, but now with a stronger push on boosting the yield per hectare. More attention is also given to stricter control on non-agricultural land conversion and resilience against climate-related disasters.
Poverty Alleviation Consolidation
In the 2025 document, the focus remains on preventing large-scale return to poverty. This will be done by improving monitoring and employment support. Mechanisms for supporting low-income and underdeveloped regions will be established. The long-term management mechanism, including a comprehensive audit and unified ledger, for assets formed by national investments in poverty alleviation will be improved.
Developing Prosperous County-Level Economies
To achieve this, there is a continuous focus on cultivating distinctive rural industries, like agrotourism and region specific brands or products. There is a strong focus on digital integration, like rural e-commerce, the use of AI and smart farming.
Advancing Rural Infrastructure and Public Services
The 2024 No.1 Document called for basic public services to be equalized across urban and rural areas. This continues in the 2025 document, but highlights the need for targeted expansion in weak areas such as rural education, healthcare and housing. There is also a stronger emphasize on disaster recovery and infrastructure maintenance.
Strengthening Rural Governance
Further strengthen rural governance by strengthening Party building in rural areas. The document also emphasizes the need for governance modernization to reduce the administrative burden and boost village-level autonomy. Anti-corruption and anti-organized crime efforts are enhanced, as well as efforts to eliminate outmoded customs (like excessive bride prices).
Optimal Allocation of Factors of Production
The last part of the document focuses on how land, capital, talent, and other key production inputs should be better mobilized for rural revitalization. Some key action points are to further refine policies for collective land management and encourage flexible land use for agricultural innovation and rural industries, to promote financial products tailored for farmers and to improve long-term mechanism for investment in rural infrastructure. Other key points are to encourage the return of workers from the cities back to the rural areas, university graduates and entrepreneurs to rural areas and strengthen training (for rural governance, digital skills, and green practices). When it comes to technology, there is a focus on supporting tech transfer from research institutes to rural industries and establishing innovation platforms.
Challenges and Opportunities for Dutch Companies
These, sometimes new, strategic priorities can create some challenges, but also opportunities for Dutch companies. On the opportunity side, the strong emphasis on modernizing agriculture, further improving food security, and enhancing the rural infrastructure aligns well with the Dutch strengths like smart-farming, sustainable food systems, agri-logistics and greenhouse technology. There seems to be more and more space for collaboration in areas like cold chain logistics, e-commerce integration, climate-resilient farming and training in for example digital skills. Challenges remain however, when it comes to navigating the policy-driven market dynamics, land-use rules, and a growing preference for local solutions. Often, foreign companies require strong local partnerships to access rural markets, project, or pilot zones. Regulatory hurdles in for example data use may also form a challenge.
More information
For more information, you can reach out to the Netherlands Agricultural Network team in China via PEK-LVVN@minbuza.nl.