BEIJING — China will unswervingly deepen reform with greater commitment and courage, President Xi Jinping said on Aug 29.

Xi, also general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and chairman of the Central Military Commission, made the remarks at the 38th meeting of the Central Leading Group for Deepening Overall Reform, which he heads.

The group called for efforts to build development priority zones, as part of the economic development and ecological protection strategy.

These zones should play a basic role in land development and be carried out with precision. There must be a long-term mechanism for differentiated but coordinated development among zones of different functions, according to the meeting.

A long-term mechanism is needed to optimize fiscal spending on agriculture. Innovation is encouraged in the use and management of funds. The rural investment system should be reformed to make agriculture policy more efficient and cost effective.

The group stressed the need to improve the ecological environment damage compensation system that had been in trial operation. It called for a damage evaluation system and a mechanism for fund management.

Setting up supervisory commissions for village affairs is an exploratory way to improve democratic village management and is significant to eliminating unhealthy tendencies and corruption, according to the group.

As for reforms to improve the accountability of judicial system, the attendees underlined better ideological, political and work ethic education for judges and prosecutors, as well as stronger supervision over them.

Pilot judicial system reform in Shanghai should adhere to the Party’s leadership in judicial work, and satisfy people’s demands for judicial service.

Technology should play a bigger part as a reference to improve the quality, efficiency and credibility of the judicial system, the group continued.

The meeting acknowledged that results have been seen in poverty alleviation after measures to clarify responsibilities. The next stage should solve existing issues and improve mechanisms.

As part of a pilot program on provincial territorial planning, Ningxia Hui autonomous region has made progress in making and enforcing the regional zoning plan, the group said, calling for further perfection of the plan and its implementation.

Attendees acknowledged solid progress in reforms since the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012 and agreed to continue the work. “Reform will never stop,” the meeting agreed.