The building of grassroots Party organizations in rural China is of vital importance to rural prosperity and stability, said Chinese Vice-President Hu Jintao during his recent tour to Shandong, Jiangsu and Anhui, three provinces in east China.

Accompanied by local officials, the vice-president made a five- day investigative tour in three counties of the provinces which ended today.

At the end of his tour, Hu concluded that the deepening of rural reform, the adjustment of economic structure and the development of the rural economy could not be achieved without the leadership of grassroots Party organizations.

Measures should be adopted to improve the professional capabilities of township officials and village heads, he stressed.

In recent years, he said, China has seen great progress in terms of village-level democratic elections, decision-making in village affairs, democratic management and supervision, although further improvement is still needed.

The vice-president called on grassroots Party organizations and village committees to promote the opening of village affairs while strengthening the leadership of Party organizations.