China’s Land Reform and Rural Innovation: A Case Study

Abstract In this paper, we introduced the historical process and internal logic of China’s rural land system reform and analyzed the successful experience of land reform in Dongling village. The results show that the long-term stability of land contracting right makes the ownership be virtualized, and the legalization of the land transfer lays the foundation for the diversification of the rural management subjects. The clear property rights enable them to allocate labour and capital freely, obtain economic benefits and then promote the development of rural industries. Land moderate-scale management is a dynamic and differentiated concept. All management subjects can achieve their ideal moderate scale of operation through land circulation. The experience of Dongling village shows that the land transfer should rely on the industry, and the key to the success or failure of the reform is that the industry should be sustainable, the distribution should be reasonable, the management should be scientific, and the supervision should be adequate. Of course, for developing countries, we need to formulate reform plans based on the differences in resource endowment instead of pursuing “fixed models” and “one-size-fits-all policy”.