China to pilot rural land use reform

BEIJING - The State Council has passed a draft decision that will enable rural construction land to have the same rights and market price as State-owned construction land in some areas.

The draft decision, pending authorization by the National People's Congress, was passed during an executive meeting of the State Council presided over by Premier Li Keqiang on Friday.

According to the draft, in places where pilot reforms will be carried out, the use right of existing collectively-owned rural construction land can be transferred, leased and traded for shares. It will be given the same rights and price as State-owned construction land when traded in the market.

The draft decision said that the reform shall be carried out on the condition that public ownership of land won't be changed; China's "red-line" minimum of arable land was not broken and farmers' rights not undermined.

The draft decision also said that the authority to approve land for building a rural house will be delegated to lower levels. Townships can approve the use of existing construction land while counties have the power to approve the use of new construction land.