Reform to ensure better use of land

The central authorities on Sunday issued an action plan for the construction of a high-standard market system. The reform of the land system is a highlight of this plan.

Although the State has launched some pilot reforms in this regard, progress remains slow when it comes to market allocation of land and the functioning of the land administrative and planning system.

That is why the action plan stipulates that localities where swathes of land have been approved for commercial development but have not yet opened for bidding should have their land use quota reduced accordingly.

That means the central authorities' administration of land focuses more on the quality of land use than quantity.

Large swathes of land lying has been a long-term problem. It is estimated that more than 1 million hectares of land approved for commercial use had not been opened for bidding till 2018.

To resolve the problem, the central authorities instructed in 2018 that local governments having large swathes of idle land would see their land use quota for the next year reduced by 20 percent. However, the policy has met tremendous resistance in implementation, as it could directly reduce the local governments' revenue from land sales.

That the action plan reintroduces the policy indicates that the central authorities will try their best to make the policy work. Notably, the action plan also says the land use quota can be adjusted between different provincial-level regions, and the type of land use can be changed as long as it meets certain requirements.

These changes will prompt local governments to make better use of their land resources. Farmers' homesteads, which have been under strict protection and supervision, can now be recognized as land for commercial use, enabling farmers to seek more tangible benefits from it.

The action plan shows the central authorities' resolve to break some long-term barriers in land reform while bringing about win-win results for all stakeholders. In this process, the efficiency of land use can be markedly improved, and market laws can play a bigger role in the land market.

CHEN MING, A POLITICAL SCIENCE RESEARCHER AT THE CHINESE ACADEMY OF SOCIAL SCIENCES