BEIJING - Chinese Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu on Wednesday called for deepening reforms in China's rural areas, including changes in the management of collective forest rights.

The country is now at a crucial stage of deepening its reform and opening-up policy as well as accelerating the transformation of the economic development pattern, Hui said at a meeting focusing on promoting comprehensive reforms in rural areas.

Deepening comprehensive reforms in rural areas is highly necessary as the country still has outstanding problems such as the unreasonable allocation of public resources and unbalanced economic and social development between rural and urban regions, Hui said.

He urged efforts be made to deepen rural areas' reforms in various fields, including the reforms of the structure of township governments and institutions, rural areas' compulsory education system and funding management mechanism.

Hui also demanded efforts be taken to perfect rural areas' public service system, which will enable better work in spreading the use of agricultural technology, enhancing the prevention and control of animal and plant epidemics and improving the quality and safety of agricultural products.