Lawmakers mull China's pilot rural land use reform

Chinese lawmakers on Wednesday reviewed a draft decision by the State Council, China's cabinet, to better protect farmers' property rights in areas selected to pilot rural land use reform measures.

The draft decision, which requires lawmakers to approve the suspension of a number of provisions in China's current Law on Land Management and the Law on Urban Real Estate Administration in selected counties and districts, could help pave the way for future rural land reform.

In the 33 chosen localities, which includes Daxing district, Beijing; Songjiang District, Shanghai; and Quxu County, Tibet Autonomous Region; rural construction land will have the same rights and market price as state-owned construction land.

The right of use for existing collectively-owned rural construction land can be transferred, leased and traded for shares, according to the draft, which was tabled for review at a bi-monthly session of the National People's Congress (NPC) Standing Committee.

Meanwhile, the authority to approve land for building a rural dwelling will be delegated to lower levels, the draft read. Townships can approve the use of existing construction land, while counties have the power to approve the use of new construction land.

In addition, housing and social insurance must be properly arranged for farmers whose land is expropriated, it said, adding that authorities must provide training, pension and medical care for eligible farmers.

Minister of Land and Resources Jiang Daming said the measures shall be carried out on the conditions that public ownership of land would not be changed, the "red-line" minimum of arable land was not breached and farmers' rights were not undermined.

Lawmakers will vote later this week. Endi