This book systematically reviews the experiences and problems encountered in the development of China’s rural areas over the past three decades since the start of the country’s economic reform. As such, it addresses the most important aspects in terms of China’s rural communities, farmers and agriculture from the perspective of development, such as the agricultural management system, rural land tenure system, rural fiscal and taxation system, financial system, science and technology system, rural governance structure, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, etc. The approach employed combines essential theories, laws, and policy strategies with rural development practice in order to analyze the success stories and lingering problems, to explore the causes of both, and to offer an outlook on the future of rural development.

This book systematically reviews the experiences and problems encountered in the development of China's rural areas over the past three decades since the start of the country's economic reform. As such, it addresses the most important aspects in terms of China's rural communities, farmers and agriculture from the perspective of development, such as the agricultural management system, rural land tenure system, rural fiscal and taxation system, financial system, science and technology system, rural governance structure, poverty alleviation, environmental protection, etc. The approach employed combines essential theories, laws, and policy strategies with rural development practice in order to analyze the success stories and lingering problems, to explore the causes of both, and to offer an outlook on the future of rural development.

On the basis of systematically summarizing and sorting out the significant achievements made since China's rural reform, this book comprehensively explains the theoretical basis, principles and strategies of the road to rural revitalization of socialism with Chinese characteristics. Through in-depth research on nine aspects of rural basic management system, rural deepening reform, food security, modernization of agriculture and rural areas, integrated development of urban and rural areas, poverty alleviation, new rural construction, ecological civilization construction and rural governance, this book puts forward the development direction and strategic choice of China's rural revitalization by the middle of this century. It not only enriches and develops the theory of development economics, but also provides experiences for rural development in developing countries.

Since 1985, the Chinese government has given high priority to building roads, particularly high-quality roads that connect industrial centers. This report evaluates the contribution roads have made to poverty reduction and economic growth in China over the last two decades. It disaggregates road infrastructure into different classes to account for differences in their quality, and then estimates the impact of road investments on overall economic growth, agricultural growth, urban growth, urban poverty reduction, and rural poverty reduction. The report makes the case for a greater focus on low-quality and rural roads in future infrastructure investment strategies in China. It does so by showing how investing in low-quality and rural roads will generate larger marginal returns, raise more people out of poverty per yuan invested, and reduce regional development disparity more sharply than investing in high-quality roads. The study's findings will have considerable implications for China's infrastructure policy

The prosperity of China’s people has advanced very much in recent decades. However, in many respects China is still a developing country, and this is especially true of rural areas where economic progress has not been as marked as in urban areas and where many people still live in relative poverty. The Chinese government recognizes that more hard work is needed in order to improve prosperity in the countryside. This book provides a systematic and comprehensive analysis of the situation in China’s rural areas, assesses the effectiveness or otherwise of current policies, and puts forward proposals for further development. Subjects covered include the changing population profile of rural areas, land ownership, agricultural improvements, and local self-government.

This book examines the rural transition and transportation in China. It covers demographic change, settlement transformation, and infrastructure development in rural areas, as well as changes in transportation expenditures, travel behavior, and accessibility of basic public services among rural Chinese residents. The book contributes to the new body of knowledge from an international perspective in three ways. First, it explores the changes in travel behavior of rural residents and related factors. Second, it provides new evidence on the relationship between rural social transformation and transportation infrastructure development. Third, it discusses the impact of transportation investments on rural poverty reduction. The book enhances our understanding of the changes in travel behavior of rural residents. In particular, the results of the multi-source big data analysis will provide new evidence on the link between social transformation and changes in travel behavior in rural China. It also helps planners and politicians to develop policies aimed at improving quality of life, rural poverty, and the efficiency of transportation investments in rural areas. The book is of great interest to scholars interested in rural transformation and development, sustainable transport, regional planning, and environmental policy and is relevant to China and other developing countries.

Despite its low penetration in China's vast rural areas, the Internet is generally perceived as a new engine for rural empowerment. By examining five Internet application initiatives in rural China, this book offers a unique view of the diffusion and usage of the Internet and its implications on the lives of rural people. Placed in the political, socioeconomic and infrastructure contexts of rural China, the book departs from the classical diffusion of innovations model and extends the existing knowledge on the adoption and usage of the Internet by rural people. In addition to testing the applicability of the diffusion of innovations theory to the diffusion of Information and Communications Technologies in the rural areas today, the study provides rich empirical evidence regarding the actual impact of the Internet on the livelihood of rural people. It also shows some innovative uses of the Internet in rural development.