Official sources report that China's State Council is targeting improved water quality and pesticide pollution prevention as its main focus for environmental protection in rural areas from 2010.

It declared that up to a 10 percent rate rise should be achieved in the treatment of sewage and consumer waste, as well as in the livestock and poultry waste utilization rate.

The plan also called for the living environment of rural citizen and ecological conditions to be greatly improved by 2015.

Vice-Premier Li Keqiang, stressed that environmental protection in rural areas is of great concern and of vital interest to rural citizens. It is also needed for the country's sustainable development.

Mr Li emphasized the government should make great efforts in solving environmental problems that damage health and threaten food safety.

He said that the focus of the latest protection work was to ensure water safety in rural areas and further promote the building of sewage treatment facilities.

China should balance its economic development with environmental protection in rural areas and endeavour to achieve a win-win situation for the two sides, he concluded.