All-round reform

According to the communique, China's urban-rural structure is the main obstacle restricting the integrated development of cities and the countryside.

"We must develop a new type of integrated, mutually beneficial relationships between industry and agriculture, city and countryside, under which industry should promote agricultural development, and the city should promote progress in the countryside, to let farmers have equal chance to take part in modernization and share the fruits of modernity," it said.

Chen Xiwen, a researcher into agricultural development with the CPC Central Committee's Leading Group of Countryside Work, told media it is "absolutely necessary and practical" to integrate the city and countryside, and industry and agriculture, to improve farmers' livelihoods and fill the gaps in the dual structure.

"After being nurtured by farmers, industry and development in the cities should serve agriculture and the countryside in return," he said.

China's official urbanization rate hit 52.57 percent in 2012, yet recent research conducted by Tsinghua University indicates that only 27 percent of the population has urban hukou, or household registration, and fully enjoys the public services available to all urban residents. The hukou system, which is more than 50 years old, has created a divided society and divided cities. Pilot programs are ongoing. In June, the State Council proposed abandoning hukou controls in small towns and cities, and gradually easing hukou restrictions in middle-level cities.

The communique says that to construct a socialist cultural power and strengthen China's soft power, the country will further deepen cultural restructuring. China will improve the cultural management system, establish a modern cultural market system, build a modern public cultural service system, and further open the cultural market.

In terms of cultural development, the government has already made some changes.

"As the economy grows, the market will become the major provider of cultural consumer goods and channels for the public. Comparatively, public services will switch to the fundamental role. As a result, we need to build and perfect the cultural market system," said Tuo Zuhai, deputy director of the Cultural Market Division at the Ministry of Culture.

China's cultural industries are developing rapidly, but many problems still exist. Inadequate market research has resulted in cultural products unable to meet people's demands in both quality and quantity.

Inadequate protection of intellectual property rights is impeding the development of cultural peripheral products and China's cultural products and services are still not competitive in the international arena.

The development of the cultural industries in different regions of the country is unbalanced, with coastal provinces being more advanced than the inland areas. Moreover, a lack of proper financial support is also hindering development.