THE NO 1 DOCUMENT issued by the central authorities last month emphasized the need to revitalize the countryside. Soon afterward, the central authorities published a three-year action plan to improve the living environment in rural areas. Beijing Youth Daily comments:

These moves show that the central authorities attach great importance to developing the countryside. It is time now for governments at all levels to implement the action plan according to practical local conditions, and engage rural residents in efforts to make the living environment in rural areas clean, tidy and environmentally friendly.

Local governments can sign contracts with the farmers, clearly stipulating each side's responsibilities and obligations to encourage villagers to take the initiative in developing more environmentally friendly lifestyles.

The conditions of villages vary. But township governments, which are usually in charge of dozens of villages, always take a one-size-fits-all approach to resolve different problems in the villages when it comes to modernizing the infrastructure of these villages or developing local culture. This results in all the villages they are responsible for looking exactly the same.

In the process of negotiating contracts with villagers, the grassroots governments can gain insights into the farmers' practical needs and a village's environmental problems, so as to tailor their efforts more precisely to the problems, and more directly and efficiently address the concerns of villagers.