Land in China: Struggle and reform

China has inherited a unique dual system of land tenure, in which urban land is essentially commercialized and rural land belongs to village communities guaranteeing access to all community members. The Chinese government has launched a major reform of this system, enabling the privatization of rural land use rights. Guus van Westen argues that while this reform may serve to remove institutional obstacles to agricultural modernization as well as urban development, it will also increase the risk of the rise of a landless rural proletariat. © 2011 Society for International Development.