UPDATE: October 19″ 2008; Chinese government officials make formal announcement on farmers' land rights. Read about announcement at Xinhua News Online.
12 October 2008:
The profile of land rights for rural farmers in China is on the rise. In a series of articles by New York Times journalist Edward Wong” the central government’s recently announced land policy is highlighted as are fears that it may be stuck in bureaucratic disputes over its content.
Following the recent adjournment of the Communist Party’s annual four-day planning session” an informal announcement was made stating that the government would allow peasants to engage in the unrestricted trade” purchase and sale of land-use contracts” and extending those contracts to 70 years from 30 years – all this in hopes of doubling the per capita income of rural residents by the year 2020. With rural land disputes being one of the greatest causes of social unrest in China” the government seems poised to address these protests from their rural citizenry. However” with no new word about the pending legislation” advocates for progressive land policy in China are beginning to fear that due to internal disagreement within the government” the final policy may not contain the same key components.
“Implementation of the law is the key”” said Kelian Zhu” a lawyer with the China research division of the Rural Development Institute” a Seattle-based group and RRI collaborator. “You have a much greater test in the future. We need to make sure to establish supporting institutions that will help to carry out laws and policies.”
Mr. Zhu stressed that the government must educate farmers on their rights and that they must be given full documentation ensuring their rights to a piece of land. According to research done by the Rural Development Institute” it is believed that only half of rural farmers have proper documentation.
The policy is expected to receive formal approval at the National People’s Congress in March 2009 where details will be unveiled and implementation will begin.
Read Edward Wong’s full articles for October 10th” 12th” and 15th at the New York Times Online.
For more information on land rights reform in China” please see the following reports (in English):
Collective Forest Tenure Reform in Southwest China – Experiences and Challenges
Su Yufang” Zhao Yaqiao” Gan Tingyu” Xu Wei” Ren Xiaodong – ICRAF-China
Also available in Chinese.
The Impact of Regulatory Takings by the Chinese State on Rural Land Tenure and Property Rights
Li Ping – Rural Development Institute
The Dispute Resolution Process in Relation to Logging Permits in China
Li Ping – Rural Development Institute
Li Ping” Zhu Keliang – Rural Development Institute” Rights and Resources