The First National Agricultural Census in the People's Republic of China was carried out in January 1997 with financial assistance from the Government of Italy and technical assistance from the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). The results obtained are of very great importance to the country to ensure the sustainable development of agricultural, rural and even the whole national economy. To this end, an International Seminar on China Agricultural Census Results was organized 19-22 September 2000 in Beijing under the China/Italy/FAO Agricultural Census Projects GCP/CPR/020/ITA and GCP/CPR/025/ITA and attended by 99 persons from 17 countries.

 The Seminar brought together a large number of eminent national and international experts, both users and producers of agricultural census data. As such, it provided a forum for persons interested in understanding the results of the census and their implications for the rural economy and the potential development of rural China. In all, some 39 invited papers were presented over 12 sessions with the focus of the Seminar on the new picture of China's agricultural sector: Comparisons of pre-census and post-census views.

 This publication presents the proceedings of the Seminar as a record of this memorable and important occasion. It is hoped that through such dialogue, a greater appreciation will be radlised of the value of the census results in the policy, planning and decision making process and greater use will be made of the wealth of information generated by the Census at all levels of administration as well as by China's farmers and rural population.

Zhu Zhixin

Commissioner

National Bureau of Statistics, PRC