Extend for Another 30 Years! China Comprehensively Launches Province-Wide Pilot Program for Second-Round Rural Contracted Land Extension Upon Expiration

Xinhua News Agency, Beijing, March 18 (Reporter Hu Lu, Zhao Yining) — On March 18, the General Office of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the General Office of the State Council jointly issued the “Opinions on the Pilot Work of Extending the Second Round of Land Contracting for 30 Years,” which provides specific arrangements for the pilot extension work after the expiration of the second round of land contracts (hereinafter referred to as the “extension pilot”).

To actively and prudently carry out the extension pilot work, since 2020, the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs and the Central Rural Work Leading Group, together with relevant departments, have guided provinces to gradually expand the pilot scope from villages and households. According to the deployment of the Party Central Committee, this year China will carry out comprehensive provincial pilots in 29 provinces (autonomous regions, municipalities).

The opinions clearly state in the overall requirements that the main line must be firmly grasped: properly handling the relationship between farmers and land, with the legal protection of farmers’ rights and interests as the starting point and the end goal. It proposes that the work should adhere to “Four Persistences,” including unwavering commitment to collective ownership, maintaining household contracting operations, upholding the dominant position of farmers, and safeguarding rural social stability.

The opinions emphasize principles for the steady and orderly development of the extension pilot, adhering to the policy of “large stability, small adjustments,” with the primary focus on maintaining the extension principle. Based on the results of rural land rights confirmation, registration, and certification, and starting from the expiration of the second round of land contracts, the contract period will be extended by 30 years. The extension will be carried out on a household basis to ensure that the vast majority of farmers’ original contracted land remains stable, avoiding complete re-contracting or disruptive redistribution, and preventing illegal adjustments or reclamation of farmers’ land. For a few villages or households where land has been damaged by natural disasters or other special circumstances, and where there is a widespread demand for land adjustment, small-scale and appropriate adjustments can be made among individual farmers under the premise of “large stability,” in accordance with laws and regulations.

Since the second round of contracts, with the development of rural economy and society, changes in population and land have led to some conflicts related to rural land contracting to varying degrees in certain areas. The opinions clarify that the legitimate rights and interests of landless farmers should be protected according to law, and reasonable demands of farmers facing difficulties due to land shortages should be properly addressed. Summarizing the experiences and practices from previous pilot work, the opinions encourage resolving prominent conflicts through methods outside land, such as distribution of collective benefits, employment services, and placement in public welfare positions, in accordance with relevant regulations. (End)