Vice Premier Liu Guozhong Urges Strong Autumn Harvest and Water Oversight in Hubei

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong conducted an inspection tour in Hubei Province from September 21 to 23, attending the national event for the 2026 Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival. Liu inspected autumn grain production, agricultural machinery services, and rural living conditions in Xiangyang, before assessing water source protection and construction progress on the Yinjiangbuhan water diversion project in Shiyan. He emphasized securing the annual grain harvest against natural disasters and maintaining strict quality, safety, and financial supervision over major national water infrastructure.

Autumn grain accounts for the majority of China's annual grain output, making late-stage field management and disaster mitigation vital for domestic food security. Liu's directives also highlight Beijing's heightened scrutiny over major infrastructure assets, specifically calling for rigorous capital oversight and engineering standards on the Yinjiangbuhan project, a critical trunk line in China's national water network.

Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong carried out an inspection tour in Hubei Province from September 21 to 23, where he attended the national celebrations for the 2026 Chinese Farmers' Harvest Festival, according to reports by Xinhua. During his visits to Xiangzhou District and Zaoyang City in Xiangyang, Liu inspected autumn grain crops, agricultural machinery services, and rural habitat improvement projects. Liu noted that China had overcome adverse weather and natural disasters earlier in the season, achieving a record summer grain harvest and stable early rice production, with a bumper autumn harvest now in sight as the country enters the opening year of the 15th Five-Year Plan period. He urged local authorities to maintain a bottom-line mentality by managing late-stage crop fields, reinforcing disaster prevention, and coordinating harvest and procurement logistics to secure total annual grain output. Liu also called for high-quality development of high-standard farmland, urging research institutes and agronomists to develop and deploy practical farming technologies to lift overall productivity. In terms of rural development, he stressed the need for targeted, institutionalized assistance to prevent rural populations from falling back into poverty, while studying the experience of the Green Rural Revival Program to expand specialized local industries and improve rural governance. Turning to infrastructure, Liu traveled to Danjiangkou City in Shiyan to examine water source protection for the central route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project and review construction of the Yinjiangbuhan Project, which channels water from the Yangtze River to the Han River. Liu instructed officials to maintain scientific scheduling and operational management of the South-to-North Water Diversion's eastern and central trunk lines to ensure water safety and supply reliability. For the Yinjiangbuhan project, Liu demanded strict adherence to construction quality control, workplace safety standards, and project fund supervision to advance the construction of a modern national water network.