By Qin Zhongchun & Ning Xia, Research Team on “Agricultural Strategic Adjustment in the Course of High-Level Opening-up”, Department of Rural Economy, DRC

Research Report, No. 71, 2020 (Total 5815) 2020-4-2

Abstract: The development and changes in China’s cotton industry demand new tasks of furthering the reform of cotton policies. To launch the reform in the new era, related departments need to improve their understanding of changes in the cotton policy environment to raise more scientific questions, adjust targets of the policies to focus on prominent problems, improve policies to address these problems and innovate the implementation of policies to achieve the goals. Good public policies are neither necessarily new nor necessarily simple; the key point is to address problems effectively. Against the background of high-level opening-up, China needs to stick to the following major principles to further the reform of its cotton policy: respecting objective laws, adhering to the correct direction of reform, focusing on phased changes in the development and promoting nationwide policy adjustment. The authorities are also supposed to follow WTO requirements, integrate Amber Policies and Green Box Policies, promote the application of new technologies and control risks in policy implementation.

Key words: cotton policies, further reforms, new tasks, major principles