Press briefing on household registration reform

Ta Kung Pao:

In the process of reforming the household registration system, how can we maintain the rural residents' land contracting management right, rural homestead land use right and the distribution right of collective income? Thank you.

Zhao Yang:

We have three thoughts on this question. Firstly, the "Three Rights" of rural residents including the rural land contracting management right, the rural homestead land use right and the distribution right of collective income are powers given under many laws such as the Property Law and Law on Land Contract in Rural Areas. The distribution right of collective income is also a legal property right that rural residents should enjoy as a member of a collective economic organization. Therefore, we must protect these three important rights of rural residents in accordance with the law. We are implementing the central government's policy on stabilizing the existing land contract relationship and ensuring no change in the long term. We are also accelerating the verification and registration of the rural land rights, to guarantee the rural residents' rural land contracting management right and rural homestead land use right. Meanwhile, we are actively promoting property rights system reform of rural collective economic organizations and exploring effective ways to improve it, in order to protect rural residents' collective property rights and income distribution rights.

There is also the issue of whether rural residents who have settled down in urban areas should give up the "Three Rights" with compensation. That should be based on fully respecting their wishes. Development of the new type of urbanization will be a long historical process. Rural residents need to go through an adaptation process when they come to cities. In this process, the urban governments should provide fair public services taking into account bearing capacity. Besides, there is a step-by-step process of improvement underway. Maintaining the "Three Rights" of rural residents as discussed in the document is a means to provide them with a backup offer, to make sure their urbanization process becomes smoother and more harmonious.

Thirdly, you may notice that the document says it is not allowed to ask rural residents to give up their "Three Rights" in order to settle down in cities at the present stage. The reason of using the term "at the present stage" is a scientific judgment based on the current economic development and maturity of society. Of course, the historical process and development stage could be very long, so we must have enough patience and determination in promoting the process. Along with economic growth and social development, the public service level will be improved in the future. And we need further comprehensive development and equalization. I think the system and laws about "Three Rights" will keep on improving.