HANGZHOU, April 11 -- Chinese Vice Premier Liu Guozhong has urged advancing spring agricultural production and strengthening rural medical and healthcare services to ensure national food security and people's health to bolster the sustained economic recovery.

Liu, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks during an inspection tour in east Chinese provinces of Anhui and Zhejiang from Sunday to Tuesday.

He visited family farms, cooperatives and seed enterprises, saying that ensuring spring agricultural production is crucial to achieving a stable and secure supply of grain and other important agricultural products throughout the year.

He also inspected county-level hospitals, township-level medical clinics, and village clinics and centers for disease prevention and control.

Improving the rural medical and healthcare system is an urgent requirement for epidemic prevention and control and advancing the building of a healthy China in an all-round way, as well as an important task for comprehensively promoting rural revitalization, Liu said.