Editor's Note:

Pushing forward rural urbanization, as an important national strategy, has been included in the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-15). But social problems caused by rural urbanization, including disputes over land acquisition compensation and lack of social insurance, have also become prominent. How can authorities solve the issue of farmers losing their lands during urbanization? How should they establish a good social welfare system for the rural population? Experts discussed these issues at a recent forum on rural urbanization held by Dalian Qihe Tiandi Culture and Communication Company in Dalian.

Farmers' rights undermined

Wang Zhihua, professor of civil law at the China University of Political Science and Law

The system of collective ownership of rural land is the product of a planned economy, and also the reason behind a series of problems in the present countryside.

Farmers have no ownership of their property, so their rights are often undermined in reality. Sporadic demolitions and social incidents caused by unfair land compensation packages have been widely reported.

Reforming the ownership of rural land is an urgent problem in China. Only when land ownership goes to farmers and they have more negotiating power over land compensation can their rights be ensured.

Currently, low land compensation for farmers is a serious problem. The core of the reform of the land development system lies in narrowing the scope of land requisition, raising compensation standards and reforming the arrangement of land compensation.

In the rural areas of Wafangdian county, Liaoning Province, according to the local compensation standard, the compensation for one hectare of land is 23,000 yuan ($3,746.70).

However, only 80 percent of the compensation can reach farmers, while the rest is taken by the village committee and upper-level governments as government revenue.

Local governments should partly retreat from some land acquisition.

First, non-commonwealth projects should not use administrative power to acquire land.

Second, the central and local authorities should increase land compensation. Sometimes, they can allow farmers and real estate developers to make a deal on compensation under government supervision.

Third, local farmers should turn their lands into shares to participate in the development and get an average return from the companies that want to use or rent farmers' lands.

Local authorities must guide rural urbanization under the framework of the law. They cannot go against local farmers' will. Farmers should be invited to participate in the decision-making process.

Land is the only source for farmers to make a living. After they lose their land, the local government needs to allocate a portion of its revenue to dramatically improve land compensation standards, so that farmers can spare some money from the compensation to buy endowment, medical and unemployment insurances.

The household registration system (hukou), which has long separated people into either rural or urban citizens, should be reformed too.

This system has hindered the free flow of social resources and caused an imbalanced economic and social structure. At the same time, it has impeded the formation of a socialist market economy. Farmers should enjoy the same services and social welfare as people in urban areas.

Working for greater good

Xu Guochun, an official from the land development and acquisition office of Paotai county, Dalian

Rural urbanization should be led by local governments.

For instance, you cannot rely on farmers who hold the mentality of small-farm agriculture to push forward land acquisition. If farmers participate in the whole process, all they can do is to strive for their own benefits, rather than consider the overall and comprehensive use of the collective land.

Farmers should follow the guidance and coordination of the village committee. For instance, when building new houses, they should at least meet the requirements from the local government which pushes forward urbanization.

With regard to the compensation prices for land acquisition, we should not leave them to the real estate developers to negotiate with farmers.

The rural land is collectively-owned, and the local government has the responsibility to protect farmers from being cheated by real estate developers.