CRI听力： Land Circulation a Key Step to Accelerate Land Reform

Anchor: The annual meeting of the Communist Party of China continues in Beijing with rural reform and development high on the agenda.

It is generally believed that the rural land reform will be the main thrust of the discussion. Experts suggest that establishing a new land circulation mechanism will be a key step to accelerate land reform.

CRI reporter He Fei has more.(Www.hXen.com)

Reporter: Zeng Yesong, a professor with the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC, explains that the rural land circulation is not privatization of rural lands.

"In circulating of rural lands, it is critical that the land should be only used for farming. What's more, we shouldn't hurt the interests of farmers. By whatever means the land is circulated, either renting or selling, it is important to ensure that the farmers get enough profits."
In 1978, China adopted a policy of collective land ownership for its 750 million rural dwellers, in which villages or townships assumed land ownership. Households manage land, usually on a small scale, for 30-year periods through contractual agreements with villages or township communities.
 
But after years of development, the collective system became an obstacle in developing local rural economies in many areas in China.

Adjusting land use policies thus became an urgent issue on the government's agenda.

In recent years, there have been disputes between local governments and farmers over the policies on the compensation of land requisition.

Xin Ming, another professor with the Party School of the Central Committee of CPC, says the new land circulation mechanism could be a fundamental cure to this problem, because in the past, farmers didn't get the wealth created by the appreciation of rural lands.

"With the development of the economy, the value of land is appreciating significantly. By granting the circulation of rural lands, broadening their contracting and managing rights, as well as the scope of business, farmers could better secure their rights and interests through the circulation of lands."

He Fei, CRI News.