Beijing unveils rural revitalisation plan

Written by Writer on Monday, October 20th, 2008

Beijing unveils rural revitalisation plan

BEIJING
Monday, October 20, 2008
Brunei Times

CHINA yesterday unveiled a broad policy document to revitalise its rural areas which have lagged behind the rest of the nation’s economic boom, promising to boost agricultural production and farmers’ incomes.

Central to the scheme will be allowing farmers to transfer their land-use rights, the official Xinhua news agency said in a report, detailing reforms previously announced by Beijing.

China’s rural citizens, who number more than 730 million according to a 2006 census, own the product of their land but not the land itself, and are barred from trading their land-use rights under current laws.

“The new measures adopted are seen by economists as a major breakthrough in land reforms initiated by late leader Deng Xiaoping 30 years ago to avail farmers of opportunities to conduct scale management and new business operations,” Xinhua said.

The plan was agreed upon at a meeting of the ruling Communist Party this month, and is part of a policy to double disposable income of rural residents from the 2008 level to more than US$1,200 by 2020.

“Such transfers of land-use rights must be voluntarily participated in by farmers, with adequate payment and in accordance with the law,” Xinhua cited the Party’s decision as saying.

Under Deng’s reforms, the huge communes that were the jewels of Mao Zedong’s communism were disbanded and farmers allowed to sell some of their produce on the open market, rather than being forced to sell it all to the state.

With the land itself still collectively owned, the present system has been rife with abuse. Local governments have seized rural plots to sell to factories and property developers, often paying only minimal compensation to farmers. Beijing also wants to spend more on rural infrastructure and increase crop output.Reuters