Chang Xuan: The Inner Logic, Practical Dilemmas, and Implementation Paths of Peasant Modernization in Promoting Common Prosperity in Rural Areas

General Secretary Xi Jinping pointed out: “The most arduous and heavy tasks in promoting common prosperity remain in the countryside.” Realizing common prosperity in the countryside is a crucial step toward achieving common prosperity for all people. In recent years, the academic community has conducted extensive and in-depth research on common prosperity in the countryside, yielding abundant results. However, existing discussions on the practical path toward this goal have primarily focused on the “material” and “external” dimensions—such as developing new types of rural collective economies, strengthening digital rural construction, promoting agricultural technological progress, and optimizing basic rural public services—while lacking research from the perspective of “people” and “internal causes,” namely, the perspective of the peasant ^[1]. In fact, from a theoretical dimension, internal causes are the fundamental driving force for the development of things; people are the subjective and decisive factor in realizing common prosperity. Promoting common prosperity and promoting the well-rounded development of the individual are dialectically unified. Therefore, researching and resolving the issue of common prosperity in the countryside must focus on the well-rounded development and modernization of the peasant. From a practical dimension, only by using the modernization of the peasant to promote common prosperity in the countryside can we fundamentally increase peasant incomes, improve their lives, and achieve rural common prosperity. Thus, the modernization of the peasant is the long-term strategy for achieving common prosperity in the countryside.

I. The Internal Logic of Modernization of the Peasant Promoting Common Prosperity in the Countryside

The modernization of the peasant is a state and process of comprehensive and coordinated development in which the production, life, concepts, quality, and abilities of peasants adapt to or even exceed the developmental requirements of modern economy and society. It involves multiple aspects, including the modernization of production modes, lifestyles, ideological concepts, and overall quality and capability. To promote common prosperity in the countryside through the modernization of the peasant, one must first clarify the internal logic—that is, why we “must” and how we “can” achieve this. Xi Jinping pointed out that “promoting common prosperity is highly unified with promoting the well-rounded development of the individual.” Consequently, promoting the modernization of the peasant and promoting common prosperity in the countryside are also highly unified; this is precisely the internal logic of the former promoting the latter. Specifically, the dialectical unity between the modernization of the peasant and common prosperity in the countryside is reflected in the following four areas:

1. Convergence of Targeted Goals

The realization of the free and well-rounded development of the individual is the ultimate value pursuit of Marxism. Through a profound analysis of the irreconcilable internal contradictions of the capitalist mode of production, Marx and Engels not only elucidated the historical trend that capitalism must perish and socialism must triumph, but also specified that the developmental goal of the future society is the realization of the free and well-rounded development of the individual. As a proletarian party guided by Marxism, the Communist Party of China (CPC) has always adhered to the fundamental purpose of serving the people whole-heartedly, striving to realize the well-rounded development of the individual in the process of promoting social progress. Mao Zedong proposed the comprehensive development of the person in the areas of “moral, intellectual, and physical education.” Deng Xiaoping pointed out the need to cultivate a “New Four-Have Person” ^[2] with lofty ideals, moral integrity, better education, and a strong sense of discipline. Jiang Zemin regarded “promoting the well-rounded development of the individual” as the “essential requirement for building a new socialist society.” Hu Jintao emphasized that “putting people first” ^[3] means taking “the realization of the well-rounded development of the individual as the goal.” Xi Jinping explicitly made the scientific judgment that “the ultimate goal of modernization is to realize the free and well-rounded development of the individual.” It can be said that the ultimate goal of all actions of the CPC is to realize the well-rounded development of the individual.

Specific to the fields of agriculture and rural areas, whether it is promoting the modernization of the peasant or promoting common prosperity in the countryside, the goal is the well-rounded development of the peasant. Realizing this development is a long-term process with different concrete manifestations at different historical stages. The modernization of the peasant is the contemporary manifestation and specific practice of the well-rounded development of the individual during the current stage of advancing Chinese-path modernization. Chinese-path modernization includes agricultural and rural modernization, which in turn inherently contains the modernization of the peasant. Promoting the modernization of the peasant is a process of achieving the well-rounded development of peasants by continuously adapting their production, life, concepts, quality, and abilities to the developmental requirements of modern society.

Regarding common prosperity in the countryside, its goal is also the well-rounded development of the peasant. Capitalist society created vast social wealth in terms of productive forces but, due to the flaws of private ownership of the means of production, failed to promote the well-rounded development of the person. Instead, it brought about the reification, alienation, and impoverishment of people. As Marx once pointed out, the life of the person is reified into a “dumb physical force,” where the accumulation of wealth on one side is at the same time the accumulation of poverty for the worker. In contrast, in a socialist society, because of the socialist public ownership of the means of production, the development of the person is not only a means for the growth of social wealth but also its end. The abundance of social wealth aims to satisfy the needs of all members of society. Through socialized production, people can not only have a rich material life but also achieve the full and free development of their physical and intellectual powers. Similarly, promoting common prosperity in the countryside takes the peasant not only as the subject of practice but also as the subject of value. Its purpose is to realize the well-rounded development and the enhancement of the well-being of the peasant. As Xi Jinping pointed out, “We must take the promotion of common prosperity for all people as the focus of seeking happiness for the people.” The prosperity of the peasant's life is the “fundamental” of rural revitalization.

2. Connectivity of Basic Connotations

Marx once pointed out that “the rich man is at the same time one who needs a complex of human manifestations of life.” In this sense, a “rich man” is a well-rounded person with rich needs. Furthermore, he pointed out that “the development of human productive power is the development of wealth.” It is evident that promoting common prosperity and promoting the well-rounded development of the person are identical. Similarly, the modernization of the peasant and common prosperity in the countryside are isomorphic; their basic connotations are connected, both involving material and spiritual dimensions.

In terms of the modernization of the peasant, it involves two major aspects: modernization at the material level and modernization at the spiritual level. Xi Jinping once pointed out: “Man is, essentially, a cultural being... an active, well-rounded person.” As a holistic ^[4] existence, man possesses both material and spiritual attributes. Therefore, the development of the person is the coordinated development of material and spiritual aspects. The modernization of the peasant is also the common progress of the material and spiritual levels. Among these, the material modernization of the peasant mainly includes the modernization of production modes and lifestyles, while the spiritual modernization mainly includes the modernization of ideological concepts and overall qualities and abilities.

Regarding common prosperity in the countryside, it likewise involves both material and spiritual prosperity. Xi Jinping pointed out: “Common prosperity... means prosperity in both the material and spiritual lives of the people,” and “Material abundance and spiritual enrichment are fundamental requirements of socialist modernization.” Concerning rural revitalization, Xi Jinping emphasized the need to achieve the “comprehensive” revitalization of the countryside, “enriching both the pockets and the heads,” and “both shaping the form and casting the soul” ^[5]. In fact, against the backdrop of China having already built a moderately prosperous society in all respects, promoting common prosperity in the countryside requires focusing not only on satisfying the material needs of peasants but also on their spiritual needs. This involves emphasizing the improvement of the peasants' sense of gain, happiness, and security, allowing the masses of peasants to fully utilize their talents in higher spiritual pursuits, thereby making the development of the peasant more guaranteed, substantial, and proactive.

3. Commonality of Achievement Conditions

The modernization of the peasant and rural common prosperity are consistent not only in their target goals and basic connotations but also in the conditions required for their achievement. This is mainly reflected in the following points:

From the macro level, i.e., the national level, both require strong support from the modernization of the entire country. Sociality is the essential attribute of man; the development of the individual cannot be separated from society, and the modernization of the peasant cannot be separated from the strong backing of the modernization of the country as a whole. Similarly, as a part of the nation, the realization of common prosperity in the countryside cannot be separated from the effective exertion of the functional state of the nation as a whole. On the other hand, both require institutional guarantees and policy support from the state. The improvement of the modernization level of the entire country only provides...

"possibility," and whether this "possibility" can be converted into "actuality" depends crucially on the extent to which the state provides protection and support for farmers and the countryside at the institutional and policy levels given limited resources. It depends on whether the state has established and improved the systems, mechanisms, and policy frameworks for urban-rural integration, and whether it can provide sufficient and high-quality factors of production for the development of both farmers and the countryside.

From the meso-level—the village level—both require high-quality development of the rural economy. Xi Jinping has pointed out that we must "promote common prosperity in the course of high-quality development... and promote the well-rounded development of the person." Only when the rural economy achieves high-quality development can there be a solid material foundation for rural common prosperity and the modernization of farmers. On the other hand, both require the vigorous promotion of rural spiritual civilization ^[6] construction, especially the modernization of rural education. Engels once noted that "every step forward in culture was a step towards freedom." Therefore, the degree of rural cultural development and the state of rural spiritual civilization construction have an important impact on the modernization of farmers. Among these, education, as the "factor with a decisive influence on human modernity" and the "most powerful factor," has a profound impact on the modernization of farmers. Similarly, one of the important connotations of rural common prosperity is "spiritual common prosperity," which also requires direct promotion through the construction of rural spiritual civilization.

From the micro-level—the farmer level—both require individuals to give full play to their subjective initiative. The modernization of farmers is the result of the combined action of internal and external factors, in which the farmers themselves are the internal driving force. Similarly, achieving rural common prosperity requires not only various objective conditions but also the exertion of the farmers' subjectivity. On the other hand, both require the organization of farmers. Individual farmers have limited strength; they cannot achieve modernization solely through their own efforts and must rely on the power of organization. Alex Inkeles, the famous American expert on the modernization of man, once pointed out that cooperatives are "a very influential school" in facilitating the modernization of farmers. Likewise, rural common prosperity cannot be achieved without the organization of farmers. Only when the broad masses of farmers are organized can we promote standardized production and large-scale management in agriculture, thereby increasing the comprehensive returns of agriculture and promoting rural common prosperity.

4. Mutual Reinforcement in the Practical Process

Marx and Engels pointed out that social production includes the production of material means of subsistence and the production of human beings themselves; these two types of production are conditions for one another. The production of human beings provides the subjective conditions for the production of material means of subsistence; man is the "producer of wealth" and "man himself is the basis of his material production." Meanwhile, the production of material means of subsistence provides the material conditions for the production of human beings, because individuals can only "achieve freedom within the scope determined and permitted by the existing productive forces." Jiang Zemin ^[7] also once pointed out: "The more well-rounded the development of people, the more material and cultural wealth the society will create... and the more sufficient the material and cultural conditions, the more they can promote the well-rounded development of people." It can be seen that promoting common prosperity and promoting the well-rounded development of people have a coupling relationship. Similarly, the modernization of farmers and rural common prosperity are profoundly mutually reinforcing in the practical process.

On the one hand, the modernization of farmers provides the subject and the momentum for rural common prosperity. Rural common prosperity is the result of the two-way interaction and combined forces of subject and object, with the broad masses of farmers being the subject and the key. Only by continuously improving the degree of modernization of farmers can we gradually promote rural common prosperity to achieve a comprehensive improvement from the surface to the core. Specifically, first, the modernization of farmers' production methods will drive a leap in the level of rural productive forces, thereby directly promoting rural common prosperity at the material level and laying a solid material foundation for common prosperity at the spiritual level. Second, the modernization of farmers' lifestyles means an improvement in the quality of life, especially as the gap in quality of life between urban and rural residents narrow daily, which will enhance the efficacy of rural common prosperity. Third, the modernization of farmers' ideological outlook can promote rural common prosperity at both the material and spiritual levels. Not only can the universal identification of farmers with the Core Socialist Values ^[8] promote the overall transformation of village customs and popular mores, but the shaping of modern consciousness—such as market consciousness and the rule of law consciousness—can promote the overall improvement of the level of rural social civilization and the high-quality development of rural industries. Fourth, the modernization of farmers' quality and capabilities can not only accelerate the application of science and technology in rural industries and drive the improvement of total factor productivity, thereby promoting material common prosperity in the countryside, but also promote spiritual common prosperity. As Marx pointed out, "our capabilities are our only original wealth."

On the other hand, rural common prosperity provides the conditions and space for the modernization of farmers. Specifically, first, rural common prosperity provides the material conditions for the modernization of farmers. Rural common prosperity is first manifested in the abundance of rural material wealth, which can provide sufficient financial and material guarantees for the modernization of farmers. Second, rural common prosperity provides the spiritual momentum for the modernization of farmers. Rural common prosperity in the New Era emphasizes "joint contribution and shared benefits," meaning that the fruits of rural development will benefit all farmers more and more fairly. This "incentive of prospects" will greatly stimulate the endogenous momentum for the development of the broad masses of farmers. Third, rural common prosperity provides a broad social space for the modernization of farmers. The common prosperity society that China is committed to building in the New Era is an organism aimed at meeting the people's diverse and multi-level needs for a better life, as well as the coordinated development of various fields in a fair and orderly manner. Therefore, rural common prosperity in the New Era will also create a higher quality social environment and a broader social space for the modernization of farmers.

II. The Practical Dilemmas of Promoting Rural Common Prosperity through the Modernization of Farmers

Contradiction is the driving force of the development of things. To promote rural common prosperity through the modernization of farmers, we must adhere to a problem-oriented approach. To this end, we must clarify the contradictions and practical dilemmas currently faced in promoting rural common prosperity through the modernization of farmers—that is, we must examine the "as-is" state of China's current modernization of farmers and focus on identifying the "chokepoints" and bottlenecks.

1. Lagging Transformation of Production Methods: Insufficient Modernization of Farmers' Production Methods

Marxism holds that practice is the mode of human existence, and production practice is the most basic human practical activity. Therefore, production is the most fundamental mode of human existence. The modernization of farmers' production methods is the most basic content of the modernization of farmers and the most important factor affecting rural common prosperity. However, the modernization of farmers' production methods in China is currently lagging; it cannot keep pace with the agricultural technological revolution and industrial transformation, thereby constraining the process of rural common prosperity. This is specifically reflected in the following three aspects.

First, the degree of technologization in farmers' production is not high. Currently, "a new round of agricultural technological revolution characterized by biotechnology and information technology is nurturing major breakthroughs." In particular, information technology is evolving and upgrading at an exponential rate. Through its deep integration with traditional agriculture, it is having a revolutionary impact on agricultural production methods. However, the degree of technologization in China's current agricultural production is not high; the agricultural production technology of smallholders is still relatively backward, with insufficient application of intelligent agricultural equipment such as seeding drones and smart irrigation systems, as well as frontier agricultural biotechnology such as biological pest control and bio-fertilizers. According to statistics, the contribution rate of agricultural science and technology progress in China was only 62.4% in 2022, a significant gap compared to the world's leading agricultural powers (the United States had already reached nearly 70% as early as 2002). Regarding the digitalization and intelligentization of agriculture, the United States has achieved the application of digital technology throughout the entire agricultural industrial chain, while China's agricultural digital technology is applied more in consumption and other links, but its application in production links is limited. In 2021, China's agricultural production informatization rate was only 25.4%. The low level of technologization in production directly restricts the process of achieving rural common prosperity, especially at the material level.

Second, the degree of "greenification" ^[9] in farmers' production is not high. Promoting green agricultural development is an inherent requirement for building a strong agricultural country and achieving agricultural modernization. Given the tightening constraints of resources and the environment in China, promoting the green transformation of agricultural development is imperative and urgent. However, the current level of greenification in China's agricultural production remains low. This is mainly reflected in: low intensive utilization of resources—taking water as an example, the effective utilization coefficient of farmland irrigation water in China was only 0.576 in 2023, while the advanced world level is 0.7–0.8; the use of inputs such as chemical fertilizers, pesticides, and agricultural films still needs to be reduced; and the resource utilization rate of waste such as livestock and poultry manure and crop straws remains to be improved. Farmers' production has not yet achieved a comprehensive green transformation, which leads to high inputs and low returns in the agricultural production process, hindering the pace of rural common prosperity.

Third, the degree of marketization in farmers' production is not high. Marketization is the soul of agricultural modernization; however, the current degree of marketization in China's farmers' production is low. In the process of engaging in agricultural production, some farmers are unable to obtain various types of market information in a timely manner, cannot scientifically and accurately grasp the rapidly changing market conditions, and cannot make correct production decisions according to changes in the market situation. This results in difficulty in effectively aligning the agricultural products produced with market demand. In addition, the low degree of marketization is also reflected in the insufficient integration of agriculture with other industries and the incomplete agricultural industrial chain. Regarding the integration of the primary and secondary industries, the ratio of China's agricultural product processing industry to total agricultural output value was 2.3:1 in 2020, far lower than the 3.5:1 level in developed countries. Regarding the integration of the primary and tertiary industries, integration exists mostly between agriculture and tourism, but is lacking with other industries, and the integration of agriculture and tourism suffers from problems such as homogenization. The low degree of marketization makes it difficult for farmers to obtain substantial returns and long-term development in a complex and volatile market, directly obstructing the final realization of material common prosperity in the countryside.

2. Living Conditions Still Need Improvement: Farmers' Quality of Life Needs Enhancing

Marx and Engels once pointed out that as individuals express their life, so they are. Therefore, the modernization of farmers' lifestyles is an important manifestation of the modernization of farmers; in fact, it is also a distinctive feature of rural common prosperity. Currently, the degree of modernization in the lifestyles of China's farmers is still not high, and the quality of life still needs enhancement, as reflected in the following two aspects.

On the one hand, the income and consumption levels of farmers still need to be raised. "A high-quality lifestyle based on the development of productive forces can be evaluated through the growth of people's income levels and corresponding consumption expenditure levels, consumption upgrading, public consumption, and the living environment." Regarding income levels, the income of China's farmers needs to be increased. Data show that in 2023, the per capita disposable income of China's rural residents was 21,691 yuan, while the per capita disposable income of urban residents in the same period was 51,821 yuan; rural residents' per capita disposable income is less than half that of urban residents. At the same time, the income gap between different groups within the rural population needs to be narrowed. In 2017, the gap between the per capita disposable income of low-income rural households and high-income rural households was 27,997 yuan; by 2023, this gap had reached 44,872 yuan. Regarding consumption levels, the consumption expenditure level of China's farmers needs to grow. Data show that in 2023, the per capita consumption expenditure of rural residents was 18,175 yuan, while that of urban residents reached 32,994 yuan. At the same time, the consumption level of China's farmers needs to be upgraded and the consumption structure needs to be optimized. According to estimates, the Engel coefficient ^[10] of China's rural residents was 32.4% in 2023, while that of urban residents was 28.8%. These data indicate that compared to urban residents, both the income level and consumption level of China's farmers need to be improved, and the goal of achieving common prosperity has a long way to go.

On the other hand, the living conditions of farmers still need improvement. Compared to urban areas, infrastructure construction based on farmers' lives in China's rural areas is still very insufficient: for example, in terms of network facilities,

5G networks have not yet achieved full coverage in China's rural areas. Regarding medical services, both the "software" and "hardware" of rural healthcare institutions require improvement; looking at the proportion of health technicians with a bachelor's degree or higher, the national average is 44.2%, while in township health centers, it is only 24%. In terms of elderly care services, by the end of 2024, even in economically developed Guangdong Province, the coverage rate of community elderly care service institutions and facilities in rural areas was only 71%, still some distance from achieving full coverage. Regarding cultural services, rural residents lack sufficient and high-quality venues and facilities for cultural activities; based on estimates from the Third National Agricultural Census, 58.7% of villages lack amateur cultural organizations for farmers, and 40.8% lack sports and fitness venues. Concerning the living environment, in 2023, the sewage treatment rates for designated towns and townships in China were only 67.71% and 33.37% respectively, while their non-hazardous domestic waste treatment rates were 86.06% and 74.41% respectively. The existence of these issues makes it difficult for farmers to achieve intelligent and green lifestyles, thereby affecting the realization of common prosperity in the countryside.

3. The Urgency of Conceptual Transformation: A Gap Remains Between Farmers' Ideological Concepts and the Requirements of Modernization

Marx pointed out that man is a "conscious being," and spirituality is one of the essential attributes of human beings. Therefore, the modernization of farmers' ideological concepts is a vital component of the modernization of farmers, and a key factor influencing common prosperity in the countryside, especially at the spiritual level. Currently, a gap remains between the ideological concepts of Chinese farmers and the requirements of modernization, which hampers the pace of common prosperity in the countryside. This is specifically reflected in the following two aspects.

On the one hand, socialist values and moral concepts have been diluted or weakened in the minds of some farmers. The modernization of farmers' ideological concepts first requires them to form socialist values and moral concepts, which are the basic qualities farmers must possess to keep pace with modern social development. Currently, although Chinese farmers have generally established socialist values and moral concepts, feudal remnants, superstitious ideas, and bad habits ^[11] still persist. Especially with the rapid development of the market economy and the profound adjustment of the social interest landscape, unhealthy ideologies such as money worship, hedonism, and extreme individualism have spread and penetrated into the countryside. The value judgments of some farmers have shown a "utilitarian" tendency—focusing on personal interests while ignoring collective interests, and venerating money and power. These ideological issues hinder the progress of farmers toward modernization and prevent them from meeting the requirements of social development and spiritual common prosperity.

On the other hand, certain modern consciousnesses have not been fully formed in the minds of farmers. Promoting the modernization of farmers' ideological concepts requires not only correct values and moral concepts but also a strong modern consciousness. At present, the modern consciousness of some farmers remains weak, primarily manifested in several areas: a lack of market awareness, where some farmers rely on personal experience, habit, and crop yield when making production and management decisions while lacking sufficient attention to market supply and demand; a lack of awareness regarding the rule of law and rules, where some farmers value human relationships (renqing ^[12]) and tradition over laws, regulations, and contracts; a lack of innovation and openness, where some farmers remain conservative in their outlook, "worshiping and depending on authority, lacking the spirit of independent thinking," and finding it difficult to accept new things; a lack of health awareness, where some farmers do not pay attention to maintaining health and lack the initiative for physical examinations or the awareness to control oil, salt, and sugar intake; and a lack of ecological and environmental awareness, where a minority of farmers fail to fully recognize the importance of environmental protection, leading to persistent phenomena such as littering and the burning of crop stalks ^[13]. These situations reflect a lag in the transformation of farmers' ideological concepts, making it difficult for them to adapt to the development requirements of modern society, which in turn hinders the realization of common prosperity in the countryside.

4. Insufficient Quality and Capability: Prominent Shortcomings in Farmers' Scientific and Cultural Literacy and Vocational Skills

Human quality refers to the moral, intellectual, physical, and psychological conditions required for engaging in activities, while human capability is "the ability of a person to engage in or complete a certain activity." The two are interrelated and together influence a person's adaptability and development potential in modern society. Therefore, the modernization of farmers' qualities and capabilities is a core component of the modernization of farmers, profoundly affecting the process of common prosperity in the countryside. Currently, the degree of modernization in the qualities and capabilities of Chinese farmers is not high, prominently manifested in the significant gaps in scientific and cultural literacy and vocational skills, which delays the progress of common prosperity. This is specifically reflected in two aspects.

On the one hand, the overall scientific and cultural literacy of farmers is relatively low. Human quality is an ensemble, within which scientific and cultural literacy is an essential core. In 2023, the proportion of rural residents in China with scientific literacy was only 9.16%, a marked gap compared to the 17.25% level among urban residents. Farmers have relatively insufficient reserves of production knowledge regarding disaster prevention and mitigation, cultivated land protection, and green production, as well as living knowledge such as hygiene and healthcare. Some farmers remain "scientifically illiterate," unable to use smartphones or computers—or their use is limited to simple operations like chatting, shopping, and watching videos—and they cannot use them to produce and release agricultural promotion videos, run online stores, or quickly and accurately retrieve needed information. Simultaneously, the overall cultural literacy of farmers is low. According to relevant data, in 2022, the proportion of rural household heads with a high school education or above was only 13.7%; even among "high-quality farmers," only 21.95% had a junior college degree or higher in 2022. Against the backdrop of rapid technological advancement and accelerating knowledge iteration, the low scientific and cultural literacy of farmers makes it difficult for them to keep pace with modern society, thereby affecting the process of common prosperity in a multi-dimensional and deep-seated manner.

On the other hand, the vocational skill levels of farmers need improvement. Currently, China's new quality productive forces are emerging in agriculture, rural industries are undergoing accelerated upgrading, and new industries and business forms are constantly surfacing. At present, the overall level of farmers' vocational skills is not high, manifested in several ways: regarding agricultural production, some farmers lack professional production skills, especially the ability to apply advanced agricultural technologies. Data from the Third National Agricultural Census shows that only 11% of agricultural production and management personnel nationwide have received professional agricultural technical training. Even among the high-quality farmer group, according to data, only about half had obtained technical titles for farmers by 2022. Regarding product sales, given the rapid development of modern information technology and the rising proportion of online sales, farmers lack the ability to sell products through networks. Regarding management, there is an urgent need to enhance farmers' capabilities in industrial planning, interpersonal communication, organizational coordination, and financial management. The existence of these problems not only makes it difficult for farmers to adapt to the trends of modern agricultural development but also hinders their ability to meet the needs of the integrated development of primary, secondary, and tertiary industries ^[14] in rural areas, thereby directly restricting the improvement of rural productive forces and obstructing the realization of material common prosperity in the countryside.

III. The Practical Path for the Modernization of Farmers to Promote Common Prosperity in the Countryside

Adhering to a problem-oriented approach requires not only being adept at discovering and scientifically analyzing problems but also daring to confront and effectively solve them. To promote common prosperity in the countryside through the modernization of farmers, targeted measures must be taken to resolve the aforementioned major contradictions, using these as leverage points and breakthroughs to drive an overall improvement in the modernization level of farmers, thereby assisting in the realization of common prosperity in China's countryside.

1. Using Technological Innovation and Organization as Leverage to Advance the Modernization of Farmers' Production Methods

Marx and Engels once pointed out: "What individuals are depends on the material conditions of their production." The modernization of farmers' production methods is of decisive significance for the modernization of farmers in other areas; without it, modernization in other respects is out of the question. Addressing the prominent problem of the low degree of modernization in China's current agricultural production methods, efforts should focus on two aspects: advancing agricultural technological innovation and agricultural organization.

On the one hand, promote agricultural technological innovation to facilitate the modernization of farmers' production methods through the transformation of productive forces. Marxism points out that the mode of production is an organic unity of productive forces and relations of production, in which the productive forces are the dominant and decisive aspect. Therefore, the modernization of farmers' production methods must first start at the level of productive forces, particularly by giving full play to science and technology as the primary productive force. Given that the overall technical level in China's agricultural and rural sectors is still in a stage where "a small number lead, while most run alongside or follow," the next step should be to strengthen agricultural R&D. Focus should be placed on key core technologies for smart agriculture such as big data and artificial intelligence to improve the digitalization and intelligence of farmers' production; strengthen R&D for green development technologies such as soil testing and formula fertilization ^[15] and biological pest control to improve the "greenness" of production; and strengthen R&D in agricultural information decision systems and deep processing of agricultural products to improve the degree of marketization and industrial integration. Furthermore, technical promotion must be effectively handled to facilitate the application of advanced technologies. In-depth publicity of the superiority of new technologies should be provided to farmers, and inspections of modern agricultural production areas should be organized to increase their willingness and enthusiasm to use new technologies. Financial support and economic guarantees should be provided to create conditions for farmers to apply these technologies, alongside strengthening technical training to improve their capabilities.

On the other hand, promote agricultural organization to facilitate the modernization of farmers' production methods through the transformation of the relations of production. This transformation requires not only the level of productive forces but also the driving force of organization. Compared to individual farmers, farmers' cooperative organizations—due to their large scale of operation, intensive land management, and strong financial strength—possess significant advantages in promoting the modernization of production: First, they can lead farmers in using advanced technologies like digital tech for production, increasing the technological level. Second, they can guide farmers in the unified application of green technologies, collective procurement of eco-friendly agricultural supplies, and joint construction of waste disposal centers, enhancing green production. Third, they can make scientific decisions based on market supply and demand and better integrate with other industries, increasing marketization and integration. To this end, a group of farmers' professional cooperative economic organizations should be cultivated and expanded. We must promote their development toward both larger scale (e.g., forming federations of cooperatives) and comprehensive functions (e.g., developing supply and marketing cooperatives) to ensure they can effectively lead the modernization of production methods. Furthermore, various methods such as "contract purchasing + profit sharing" should be adopted to establish tight interest-linking mechanisms between cooperatives and farmers, ensuring the upgrade in production methods actually benefits the masses.

2. Using Increased Income Levels and Improved Living Conditions as Leverage to Advance the Modernization of Farmers' Lifestyles

The modernization of farmers' lifestyles, together with the modernization of production methods, constitutes the objective basis of the modernization of farmers. It affects the realization of both the modernization of ideological concepts and qualities, as well as the realization of common prosperity in the countryside. Addressing the current issue of the relatively low quality of life for farmers, efforts should focus on increasing income levels and improving living conditions.

On the one hand, promote rural industrial revitalization to increase farmer income. The key to improving the quality of life lies in increasing income. Considering that operational income remains the primary source of income for farmers, we must further increase this by promoting the high-quality development of rural industries. We must promote the integrated development of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries in rural areas...

Integrated development can adapt to the trend of consumer demand evolving toward diversification and high-end tiers. This allows for the development of functional foods—such as health supplements and fat-reduction products—as well as various food processing industries like snack foods. It also facilitates the integration of agriculture with industries such as education, healthcare, and wellness tourism. By extending the agricultural industrial chain, the value chain is subsequently lengthened, allowing farmers to share in the value-added benefits of other sectors and links, thereby increasing their income levels. Meanwhile, it is necessary to develop and strengthen the new type of rural collective economy ^[16]. A cohort of experts should be hired to scientifically determine the characteristic and advantageous industries that the locality can prioritize, based on industrial market conditions and local resource strengths. These may include characteristic agricultural product processing, traditional handicraft manufacturing, cultural tourism, and logistics services. On this basis, the village collective economy should be vigorously developed around these characteristic and advantageous industries to promote common prosperity for the broad masses of farmers.

On the other hand, we must improve rural infrastructure, public services, and the living environment to enhance farmers' living conditions. Xi Jinping has pointed out: "We must aim for the goal of 'rural areas essentially possessing modern living conditions'" and "improve the degree of infrastructure completeness, public service convenience, and living environment comfort, so that farmers can lead a modern civilized life where they reside." Specifically, regarding infrastructure, the focus is on strengthening network infrastructure construction to gradually achieve full 5G coverage in administrative villages. Regarding medical services, preferential policies such as providing established posts ^[17] and issuing subsidies can be used to guide medical graduates from higher education institutions to pursue health careers in rural areas. We can also promote the extension of high-quality urban medical resources to rural areas by establishing pair-up assistance mechanisms ^[18] with urban hospitals and developing "telemedicine." Regarding elderly care services, we should increase financial support for the construction of rural elderly care institutions to ensure a standardized facility exists within a certain radius in rural areas. Regarding cultural services, we must strengthen the construction and maintenance of rural public libraries and leisure squares, and launch "High-Quality Culture for the Countryside" activities to enable urban and rural residents to share high-quality cultural resources. Regarding the living environment, we should further advance the toilet revolution ^[19], promote the comprehensive popularization of harmless sanitary toilets in rural areas, and push forward the harmless treatment of household waste and sewage to achieve full coverage across administrative villages.

3. Promoting the modernization of farmers' ideological outlooks by strengthening rural ideological and moral construction

The modernization of farmers' ideological outlooks is the soul and internal support of the modernization of farmers; it is also a key factor affecting common prosperity in the countryside. Aiming at the prominent problem that the modernization of Chinese farmers' ideological outlooks is currently insufficiently high, we should vigorously strengthen rural ideological and moral construction.

First, in terms of content, we must guide farmers both to practice Socialist Core Values ^[20] and to establish modern conceptual awareness. Mao Zedong once proposed the cultivation of a large number of "new people" who can adapt to the needs of China's new situation, the primary requirement of which was to be "red"—that is, to have the correct political direction. Deng Xiaoping proposed the cultivation of "four-haves" new people, the first of which was "having ideals." Xi Jinping proposed the cultivation of "new people of the era," the top priority of which is to "build a spiritual foundation with firm ideals and convictions." It is evident that regardless of the historical period, "new people" must first possess firm ideals, convictions, and value concepts. Therefore, to promote the modernization of farmers' ideological outlooks at present, the priority is to guide farmers to practice Socialist Core Values. At the same time, farmers should be guided to emancipate their minds and establish modern conceptual awareness, such as market awareness and the rule of law. As Deng Xiaoping once said, only when the mind is emancipated can we solve problems left over from the past and address new problems under the guidance of correct thinking. Particular emphasis should be placed on cultivating farmers' awareness of independent and lifelong learning, which is the key to farmers moving toward modernization. Propaganda and ideological work can be carried out by combining social development trends with typical local examples to make farmers fully realize the importance of learning. "Learning Stars" can also be selected periodically and given rewards and commendations to stimulate farmers' enthusiasm for learning.

Second, in terms of form, we should actively carry out diverse mass cultural activities to provide ideological guidance to farmers invisibly. Ideological and political education includes both explicit and implicit methods. Compared to explicit methods such as theoretical lectures and bulletin board propaganda, implicit methods are often more easily accepted by the educated and can exert a more profound and lasting influence through subtle influence. In fact, surveys show that from the farmers' perspective, the most effective way to conduct ideological and moral education is through cultural activities. Therefore, in the process of strengthening rural ideological and moral construction to promote the modernization of farmers' ideological outlooks, more energy should be devoted to organizing various cultural activities. Regarding the forms of activities, one can choose "culture to the countryside" ^[21] formats popular with farmers, such as film screenings and theatrical performances. Farmers can also be encouraged to create and perform their own literary and artistic programs—such as songs, dances, kuaiban ^[22], and sketches—that incorporate Socialist Core Values and modern conceptual awareness.

Third, in terms of space, we should accelerate the construction of New Era Civilization Practice Centers ^[23] to provide fixed and sufficient public space for various cultural activities, ensuring they can be carried out continuously and smoothly. We can accelerate the integration of existing rural public cultural service positions and resources, linking township cultural stations, rural libraries, stages, and activity squares. This will build a rural public cultural service platform and create space for film screenings and artistic performances, ensuring activities are no longer hindered by site constraints. In the layout and creation of platforms and spaces, we should emphasize localization, popularization, and modernization—fully excavating and displaying local celebrities' anecdotes and interesting life stories. We can use these to widely propagate the new civilized trends of the New Era, thereby guiding farmers to transform their thinking.

4. Promoting the modernization of farmers' qualities and capabilities by advancing the modernization of rural education

The modernization of farmers' qualities and capabilities is the external manifestation and concentrated reflection of the modernization of farmers. It is another core element of their modernization and a key factor affecting common prosperity in the countryside. Aiming at the problem of the prominent shortcomings in the scientific and cultural quality and vocational skills of Chinese farmers, we must actively promote the modernization of rural education. Education is the most direct and effective way to improve human quality and capability; of course, education here is not limited to schooling but also includes skill training for farmers. Specifically, we should focus on the following areas:

First, promote legislative work on farmer education. Looking at the world's major agricultural powers, many have specific laws regarding farmer education. For instance, South Korea promulgated the Act on Nurturing Disciples of Agriculture and Fisheries, which ensured the orderly and effective advancement of farmer education. Currently, China's legal provisions on farmer education are mostly scattered across other relevant laws, such as the Agriculture Law and the Education Law, and most are general provisions. There is not yet a specialized, detailed law or regulation on farmer education. Given this, it is necessary for China to draw on the experience of other countries and accelerate the legislative process for farmer education, providing specific and clear regulations on management mechanisms, financial investment, and the division of responsibilities.

Second, increase financial investment in rural education. The modernization of rural education cannot be achieved without sufficient funding guarantees. To this end, financial authorities at all levels should further increase the proportion of education funds in general public budget expenditures. Investment should be particularly strengthened in upgrading the information technology infrastructure of rural schools, improving the welfare and treatment of rural teachers, and conducting knowledge and skill training for them. During this process, relevant departments should also strengthen supervision of the use of rural education funds to avoid misappropriation, thereby providing a solid financial guarantee for the development of rural education.

Third, improve the level of the teaching force in rural education. To realize the modernization of rural education, there must be a first-class team of teachers. In terms of formal education, provincial-level finances can allocate special funds to provide settling-in allowances and living subsidies for rural teachers, attracting outstanding university students to teach in the countryside and replenishing the rural teaching force. Following the principle that "the educator must first be educated," the teaching level of existing rural teachers can be improved through the continued implementation of the "National Training Plan" ^[24] and by encouraging rural teachers to pursue postgraduate degrees while in service. In terms of non-formal education, we should extensively recruit experts, scholars, technical backbones, and those who have become wealthy through expertise from all sectors of society to serve as lecturers. In particular, we should select a group of rural "talents" from among the farmers themselves—those who love agriculture, understand technology, are good at management, and can teach—to serve as lecturers to impart scientific knowledge and production management skills to other farmers.

Fourth, reform the curriculum system of rural education. We must emphasize the comprehensiveness of teaching content. We should not only impart general scientific and cultural knowledge such as chemistry and biology, but also teaching methods and techniques to enhance farmers' learning ability. We should impart scientific knowledge and skills related to agricultural production and management—such as plant protection, agricultural machinery maintenance, and agricultural product sales—as well as scientific knowledge for modern life, such as health and wellness information. Simultaneously, we must emphasize the contemporary nature of teaching content. Following the trend of the information age, we should impart information technology knowledge and skills, such as document editing, emailing, information retrieval, video production, and online sales. Following the trends of agricultural technological innovation and industrial transformation, we should also transmit cutting-edge agricultural production technologies, such as the use of new equipment and planting techniques for new varieties.

IV. Conclusion

Achieving common prosperity for all people is an essential requirement of Chinese-path modernization. Given China's national conditions, the most arduous and heavy tasks in promoting common prosperity lie in the rural areas; achieving common prosperity in the countryside is the most critical step toward common prosperity for the whole people. Whether viewed from the basic tenets of Marxism or the essential requirements of socialism, the promotion of common prosperity and the promotion of free and well-rounded human development are highly unified. Therefore, research into and solutions for rural common prosperity cannot ignore the issue of the well-rounded development of farmers and their modernization. Only by starting from the perspective of "the person" and the "internal cause"—specifically the perspective of the farmer—to conduct a deep-level exploration of rural common prosperity, and only by promoting rural common prosperity through the modernization of farmers, can we fundamentally narrow the urban-rural development gap.

However, currently, the modernization of Chinese farmers' production methods is incomplete, their quality of life needs further improvement, their ideological outlook still falls short of modern requirements, and their scientific/cultural qualities and vocational skills have prominent shortcomings. These issues are concentrated manifestations of the low degree of modernization among China's farmers, resulting in a lack of human capital and insufficient endogenous drive for promoting rural common prosperity. In the future, to promote rural common prosperity through the modernization of farmers, we must advance agricultural technological innovation and organization, improve farmers' income levels and living conditions, strengthen rural ideological and moral construction, and promote the modernization of rural education. This is necessary to clear the "bottleneck points" ^[25] farmers face in four areas: the modernization of production methods, lifestyles, ideological outlooks, and qualities and abilities.

Of course, to improve the overall level of farmer modernization and better promote rural common prosperity, two key measures are also required: first, we must adhere to the Party's leadership. The modernization of farmers is a complex systemic project; promoting it requires the Party to play its core leadership role in overseeing the overall situation and coordinating all parties. Second, we must give play to our institutional advantages. The modernization of farmers is a beautiful human vision that can only be realized under the conditions of the socialist system; promoting it requires fully leveraging the multiple advantages of our system in the economic, cultural, and other spheres.