China's rural areas hold vast growth potential, economist says

By Xia Fangting and Huo Shuaihe

China's rural areas hold vast untapped potential for economic growth through products and services that leverage their cultural diversity and natural resources, an Italian economist said at a development forum in southwest China on March 29.

Pompeo Della Posta, a Beijing Normal University professor, told the International Forum on Poverty Governance and Global Development (Nujiang Forum) that combining green practices with cultural heritage could drive rural revitalization across China's diverse regions.

Pompeo Della Posta, a professor at Beijing Normal University, speaks at the 2025 International Forum on Poverty Governance and Global Development (Nujiang Forum) in Nujiang Lisu Autonomous Prefecture, southwest China's Yunnan province, March 29, 2025. [Photo courtesy of Nujiang Forum]

"It might be inappropriate to focus only on products or only on services, as their combined impact can reinforce each other," Della Posta said, stressing integrated approaches for rural revitalization. He noted that common global market practices, such as developing unique branding and highlighting distinctive qualities, can generate a cycle of higher profits, increased investment, and greater development.

Della Posta also underscored the importance of culture in rural development. "The cultural background of an area, including popular art, cultural traditions, cultural inheritance and cultural roots, plays a vital role," he said.

Rural products and services, such as agricultural goods, culinary experiences and hospitality services, are deeply tied to local cultures, he added.

China's diversity in climate, geography and natural resources creates unique opportunities for product differentiation. "The richness and variety of popular art, traditions and cultures in a country like China are conducive to product differentiation that would certainly create and justify large market demand," Della Posta said.

"Green practices and popular culture are assets that each region or province should treasure and capitalize on, especially in a country like China that has undergone very rapid industrialization and urban development," he said.

The growing desire among urban residents to reconnect with their cultural roots and rediscover lost landscapes offers rural areas opportunities for development that can contribute to China's sustainable growth goals, according to Della Posta.

The forum, themed "Together Promote Rural Revitalization and Common Development," featured panel discussions and roundtables where participants shared poverty reduction strategies.