The prosperity of China’s people has advanced very much in recent decades. However, in many respects China is still a developing country, and this is especially true of rural areas where economic progress has not been as marked as in urban areas and where many people still live in relative poverty. The Chinese government recognizes that more hard work is needed in order to improve prosperity in the countryside. This book provides a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the situation in China’s rural areas, assesses the effectiveness or otherwise of current policies, and puts forward proposals for further development. Subjects covered include the changing population profile of rural areas, land ownership, agricultural improvements, and local self-government.
Table of Contents:
Introduction
1. The epic task of "building a moderately prosperous society in an all-round way" in rural parts of China
2. Changes in the geographic distribution of China's rural population and in the allocation of its labor resources
3. Furthering reform of China's land system and granting greater property rights to rural residents
4. Achieving a balance in the supply and demand for grain in China and ensuring food safety in terms of the quality of food
5. Changing the operating systems that apply to Chinese agriculture and speeding up agricultural modernization
6. Increasing the income of farmers and ensuring fair distribution of income
7. Improving China's social security systems for providing public services
8. Promoting innovative ways to involve rural communities in self-governance
9. Strengthening controls over resources and environmental protection, building an "ecological civilization" in the countryside
10. Clarifying the responsibilities and accountabilities of governments and increasing support from public finance
11. Accelerate reform of the household registration system and promoting the unification of urban and rural development
Concluding remarks
About the Author :
China Development Research Foundation is one of the leading economic think tanks in China, where many of the details of China’s economic reform have been formulated. Its work and publications therefore provide great insights into what the Chinese themselves think about economic reform and how it should develop.
Review :
"The book is a milestone, both in bringing out the flip and flop sides of the development scene and making policy recommendations to mend the situation. Notwithstanding, it lays down framework for the academics, decision makers and the general readership alike to take a leaf from China’s experimentations."
Dr. Sheo Nandan Pandey, OSD (Retd.), PMO, Govt. of India, New Delhi
