2007, March 16

The 247-article law regulates property rights of state, collective and individual land. It is the first time in the People's Republic of China that private property is protected in a similar way as state property. Comment: The law was heavily debated in China. Many people believe that private property rights would accelerate the process of agricultural land being converted into commercial land. Others have argued that the law may protect farmers from unlawful land expropriations. Official figures are indicating that nearly 200.000 hectares of rural land are taken from farmers each year for industrial and commercial purposes. This expropriation of collective land is often associated with (local) corruption.

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