To implement the guiding principles of the Party Central Committee and the State Council on promoting the development of distinctive small towns and small cities, on March 23 the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development convened a national training conference on distinctive small towns in Deqing County, Huzhou City, Zhejiang Province, during which field visits were conducted to Moganshan Town, Qianyuan Town, Luoshe Town in Deqing County, as well as Diankou Town in Zhuji City. Zhao Hui, Chief Economist of the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development, attended the meeting and delivered a speech.

　　The meeting pointed out that small towns play a vitally important role in promoting coordinated urban–rural development, national sustainable development, and the healthy advancement of urbanization; moreover, the development of small towns can make national development more distinctly Chinese in character, more reflective of Chinese culture, and richer and more diverse. However, overall, the development of small towns in China has lagged behind and has not yet fulfilled its due role, necessitating intensified efforts and proactive promotion. Characteristic towns represent an important vehicle for advancing the development of small towns, and Zhejiang Province has accumulated valuable experience in this regard. Building on this experience, the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development, in collaboration with the National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Finance, issued the “Notice on Launching the Cultivation of Characteristic Towns,” announced the first list of 127 characteristic towns, established a dedicated online platform for the cultivation of such towns, and, together with financial institutions including the Agricultural Development Bank of China and the China Development Bank, introduced policies to strengthen financial support for the development of characteristic towns and small towns.

　　At present, most provinces (municipalities and autonomous regions) have defined their development goals and supporting policies, formulated relevant plans, and are steadily and orderly advancing the construction of distinctive small towns. The first batch of 127 such towns has already achieved notable results. First, they have significantly boosted industrial and rural development: new enterprises have created 100,000 jobs, with each town averaging nearly 800 new positions. Farmers’ per capita net income is one-third higher than the national average. Second, infrastructure has been further improved: over 90% of these towns now enjoy tap-water coverage exceeding 90%, and more than 80% have household-waste disposal rates above 90%, essentially reaching the average level of county seats. Third, public-service capacity continues to strengthen: on average, each town is equipped with six bank or credit-cooperative branches, five large chain supermarkets or commercial centers, nine express-delivery outlets, and 15 cultural activity venues or centers. Fourth, traditional culture has been effectively protected and passed down: 85% of the towns boast intangible cultural heritage at or above the provincial level; over 80% regularly host folk festivals; and more than 70% preserve unique local folk crafts. Fifth, progress has been made in institutional and mechanism innovation: over 90% of the towns have established planning, construction, and management bodies as well as “one-stop” integrated administrative service centers, and more than 80% have set up comprehensive law-enforcement agencies.

　　The meeting emphasized the need to further clarify the guiding principles, approaches, and pathways for cultivating distinctive small towns, while firmly upholding the original intent. It also set forth ten fundamental requirements to address challenges in small-town development: First, adhere to the overarching strategy of prioritizing small towns, increase investment, and reverse the longstanding bias toward urban development at the expense of small towns. Second, adopt a targeted approach to development by scientifically identifying priority towns and distinctive small towns, appropriately controlling their number, and advancing these initiatives in an orderly and effective manner, thereby preventing a rush to establish such towns without due consideration. Third, pursue development with distinctive local characteristics, fostering uniquely tailored industrial clusters and avoiding herd-like imitation in industrial development. Fourth, emphasize distinctive architectural and spatial design, respecting the natural landscape and existing urban fabric, carefully regulating building height, density, and scale, highlighting unique local features, and preventing uniformity across all towns. Fifth, ensure that small towns continue to serve as rural hubs by addressing critical gaps in infrastructure and public services, thus preventing detachment from the countryside, agriculture, and farmers. Sixth, place market-driven industries at the core of development, basing population and land-use planning on employment needs, striving to secure viable project sites, and avoiding the indiscriminate creation of new towns. Seventh, promote intensive and economical development by scientifically determining the overall scale of town construction, preventing oversized projects in sectors such as industry, commerce, tourism, and culture, strengthening compliance with regulations, and prohibiting illegal or non-compliant land acquisition and development activities. Eighth, put people first by allocating more land and funding to the development of residential areas, appropriately reducing industrial land use, lowering standards for infrastructure such as roads and landscaping in industrial parks, and avoiding the construction of ostentatious “image projects” like wide boulevards and large plazas. Ninth, prioritize cultural identity and substantive content by actively exploring and showcasing local traditional culture, protecting and passing down cultural heritage, and making culture a key driver and ultimate goal of development. Tenth, integrate multiple planning frameworks into a unified system, coordinating project selection and implementation to enhance the practicality and effectiveness of urban planning.

　　A total of approximately 230 participants attended the training, including relevant officials from the Department of Rural and Town Construction of the Ministry of Housing and Urban–Rural Development, the Agricultural Department of the Ministry of Finance, the Overseas Chinese Affairs Office of the State Council, the China Development Bank, and the China Construction Bank, as well as principal officials from the housing and urban–rural development authorities of all provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities directly under the central government) and the Construction Bureau of the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps. Experts delivered presentations on guidelines for the planning and construction of small towns and on strategies for industrial development; representatives from the China Development Bank and the China Construction Bank outlined financial support policies; and officials from the housing and urban–rural development departments of Shaanxi and Guizhou provinces, along with representatives from several model small towns, shared their practical experience.