Social innovations on land use in rural China: an asset-based analysis

Abstract

Land is one of the most important assets in many countries, but property rights in rural China create unique circumstances worthy of consideration. Because the state and collectivities hold property rights and grant right of use, those who live and farm on land cannot freely use, transfer, pledge for loan, or bequeath that land. However, several recent social innovations experiment with ways to broaden flexibility on land use. Using the theoretical framework of asset building, this article discusses the current land policy, re-examines the asset attributes of land and discusses both the advantages and disadvantages of these innovations in rural China. The analysis leads us to make further suggestions concerning asset-based land policy.

土地是许多国家最重要的资产之一，但是中国农村的财产权的情况非常特殊，值得探讨。因为中国实行土地集体所有制，集体对土地财产权利拥有处置权，耕种土地的人不能随意使用、转让、出租或者遗赠土地。然而，最近有几次社会创新试验用来加强使用土地的灵活性。本文通过资产建设的理论结构，讨论了当前的土地政策，重新检验了土地资产属性；同时还讨论了这些创新在中国农村的优缺点。这些分析可以帮助我们对基于资产建设的土地政策做出进一步建议。

Keywords:

• asset-based approach
• China
• household contract responsibility system
• Land for Social Security Model
• Land Shareholding Cooperative Model
• land use
• pension insurance
• social innovation

Acknowledgements

The authors appreciate the support from the Center for Social Development at Washington University in St. Louis, USA, and the comments from the anonymous reviewers.

Notes

1. Specified by Zhong hua ren min gong he gong tu di cheng bao fa [Law of the People's Republic of China on the Contracting of Rural Land] (promulgated by Standing Committee of National People's Congress (NPSC), 29 August 2002, effective 1 March 2003) 2002 NPSC Gazette, No. 5, 347, Presidential Order 73.

2. Specified by Zhong hua ren min gong he guo tu di guan li fa (2004 xiu zheng) [Land Administration Law of the People's Republic of China (2004 Amendment)] (promulgated by NPSC, 28 August 2004, originally effective 1 January 1999) 2004 NPSC Gazette, No. 6, 566, Presidential Order 28; and by Zhong hua ren min gong he guo dan bao fa [The Guaranty Law of the People's Republic of China] (promulgated by NPSC, 30 June 1995, effective 1 October 1995) 1995 NPSC Gazette, No. 5, Presidential Order 50.