Land acquisition system reform in China - Problems & answers

In this article, the author argues that China's existing land acquisition system that was formulated in the planned economy period does not accommodate to the requirements of developing the market economy. The major deficiencies include the following aspects: excessively wide sphere in the exercise of land acquisition power, which does not materialize "public interest" requirements; land acquisition compensation calculating method deviating from market economic laws; traditional and simplified allocation methods hard to settle long-term livelihood of dispossessed farmers; land acquisition procedures neglecting farmers' aspirations and infringing upon the rights of farmers to know, participate and make appeals on land acquisition affairs. The article puts forward a number of proposals to reform the scheme, including standardizing governmental acts and be prudent in the use of land acquisition power; recognizing the property right of peasant collectives on lands, and keeping land acquisition compensation in line with market economic laws; keeping farmers' long-term livelihood in mind and bringing dispossessed farmer allocation into social security system; and endowing farmers with their legitimate rights and establishing open and just land acquisition procedures.