At a national video meeting on November 13, 2026, on winter and spring farmland water projects and high-standard farmland construction, Chinese Premier Li Qiang called for construction quality to take priority. In instructions issued ahead of the meeting, he urged the modernization of medium- and large-scale irrigation districts, the clearing of farmland drainage channels, and more efficient agricultural water use.
Li also called for tighter oversight of project funding and management, stronger construction-quality inspections, and better operation and maintenance of completed facilities. He described the work as important to food security and the ability of agriculture to withstand disasters.
Vice Premier Liu Guozhong, who attended the meeting, said construction targets and standards should reflect local conditions. He called for oversight throughout the project cycle and faster use of findings from the third national soil survey. Liu also urged continued work on irrigation systems, rural water supply and the upgrading of older reservoirs.
For the coming winter and spring, Liu called for continued attention to planting and agricultural production, the purchase of the autumn grain harvest, disaster preparedness, and the supply and stable pricing of agricultural inputs.