New urbanization construction requires breaking with the old and establishing the new
"In this year's Government Work Report, it was again pointed out that new urbanization is the fundamental way to resolve the urban-rural gap. As China's new urbanization pilot area, the Chongqing metropolitan area must realize a new urbanization operating mechanism." Li Jianchun, a deputy to the National People's Congress and secretary of the Banan District Party Committee of Chongqing, suggested breaking with the old and establishing the new in the original development path, and innovating a government governance mechanism that shifts from urban-rural separate governance to urban-rural integration.
Li Jianchun believes that, first of all, the planning concept must be reformed from "city" to "urban-rural." Strengthen the "Special Plan for the Construction of the Urban System," make the "Small Town Construction Plan" legally required, and fully implement the "Rural Planning Guidelines"; reform the management system in which urban planning and land management are vertically managed by higher-level governments while township land is managed by county-level governments, and comprehensively advance integrated urban-rural land management; in the organization of urban planning, construction, and land management, shift from urban-rural separate governance to urban-rural integration. Improve the law enforcement rights of township governments in construction management.
Second, trading rules for rural collective construction land must be established. Promote the step-by-step, categorized transformation of the rural economy from a collective economy to a shareholding economy. Collective shareholding companies can be registered on a village basis, with their main assets composed of existing rural operating assets, and the company's equity decided by the village representatives' assembly; revise the original "Opinions on Reforming the Rural Collective Economic Property Rights System" and the "Implementation Opinions on Reforming the Rural Collective Economic Property Rights System" to ensure that rural collective shareholding reform has a legal basis. Rural collective land is owned by the community collective, the property rights system continues to maintain collective ownership, and the household contract responsibility system continues to be implemented.
Third, market-based operating mechanisms must be used. According to urban construction plans and overall land use plans, select qualified rural land consolidation and development companies to transfer land, or selectively cooperate in carrying out new urbanization project construction. Using resources such as investment in agricultural infrastructure as the basis for competitiveness, select companies that meet the conditions for implementing industrial plans for cooperation, and realize the extended development of agricultural industries.
"The most important thing is to protect farmers' interests and establish a benefit distribution pattern in new urbanization construction." Li Jianchun stressed that farmers' benefit distribution must be increased, and rural land consolidation and development companies should have a voice in benefit distribution in new urbanization, which can ensure that farmers obtain property income and entrepreneurial conditions while also gaining improved living conditions in new urbanization resettlement; the government's interest lies in establishing a rural market economy system and leveraging the formation of a win-win pattern of China's new urbanization, "three rural" development, and sustainable economic growth; rural land consolidation and development companies cooperate with social capital using the remaining land after consolidation and use, obtain reasonable equity, and enjoy shareholder profit distribution. The development company should organizationally guarantee farmers' employment and income equal to that of urban workers, vocational skills training, payment of the "five insurances and one housing fund," and so on, to better promote people-centered urbanization.
"Rural construction land planning must certainly coordinate with agricultural and rural development, must differ from cities, and must suit agriculture's 'three-life' functions." Li Jianchun said that we currently mostly focus on the "production" aspect and still do not pay enough attention to "living" and "ecology." We must set trading conditions for rural collective construction land to enter the market precisely to play a driving role for agriculture and rural areas. If it is merely treated as a supplement to urban construction land, that is not advisable.