Seventy-Five Years of Historical Changes and Rational Reflections on China's Rural Management System

Introduction

导言

The year 2024 is destined to be epoch-making and to leave a heavy mark in the long river of history for China's agriculture, countryside, and farmers.

2024年，对中国农业、农村、农民而言，注定是划时代的、将载入历史长河浓重一笔的年份。

On June 28, the Tenth Session of the Standing Committee of the Fourteenth National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China voted to pass the Law of the People's Republic of China on Rural Collective Economic Organizations, which will take effect on May 1, 2025. Having weathered over 70 years of development since the agricultural cooperation movement in the early 1950s, it is no exaggeration to say that New China's rural collective economic organizations are the socialist public ownership organizational system with the largest number of people involved, the widest geographical coverage, the greatest scope of impact, and the longest legislative practice in the world. They are the foundation for hundreds of millions of farmers to settle down, the basis for safeguarding their rights and interests, the key to good governance in the countryside, and the source of national peace and stability. Hence their enormous role and far-reaching significance are self-evident. [1]1 The agricultural cooperation movement refers to the movement led by the CPC in the early 1950s to transform individual peasant agriculture into collective ownership, including mutual aid teams, elementary cooperatives, and advanced cooperatives.

6月28日，中华人民共和国第十四届全国人民代表大会常务委员会第十次会议表决通过《中华人民共和国农村集体经济组织法》，自2025年5月1日起施行。从上世纪50年代初农业合作化运动至今风风雨雨走过了70多年发展历程，毫不夸张地说，新中国的农村集体经济组织，是全球涉及人数最多、辐射地域最广、影响范围最大、立法实践最长的社会主义公有制组织体系，是亿万农民安身立命之本、维护权益之基、善治乡村之要、国泰民安之源。因而，其巨大作用、深远意义不言而喻。

On July 18, the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the Communist Party of China passed the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization. This demonstrates the strong determination and sense of mission of the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core to carry reform through to the end. It is a reaffirmation of what banner to hold and what path to take on the new journey of the New Era, fully reflecting the historical initiative of the Party Central Committee in improving and developing the system of socialism with Chinese characteristics and advancing the modernization of the national governance system and governance capacity. This will undoubtedly provide powerful impetus and institutional guarantees for Chinese-path modernization. [2]2 The Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC refers to the session held in July 2024 that focused on further comprehensively deepening reform and advancing Chinese-path modernization.

7月18日，中国共产党第二十届中央委员会第三次全体会议通过《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革 推进中国式现代化的决定》。彰显了以习近平同志为核心的党中央将改革进行到底的坚强决心和强烈使命担当，是对新时代新征程举什么旗、走什么路的再宣示，充分体现了党中央完善和发展中国特色社会主义制度、推进国家治理体系和治理能力现代化的历史主动，必将为中国式现代化提供强大动力和制度保障。

This article, combining the study and implementation of the Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization and the Law of the People's Republic of China on Rural Collective Economic Organizations, is divided into three parts to briefly elaborate on the seventy-five years of historical changes and rational reflections on China's rural management system, namely: a rough journey with brilliant achievements; upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground for comprehensive rural revitalization; and staying true to the original aspiration and setting things right. [3]3 "Upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground" (守正创新) is a frequently used phrase in CPC discourse meaning to adhere to core principles while innovating.

本文结合学习贯彻《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革 推进中国式现代化的决定》《中华人民共和国农村集体经济组织法》，分为三个部分概要阐述了新中国农村经营体制七十五年历史变迁与理性思考，即：历程坎坷，成就辉煌；守正创新，乡村全面振兴；不忘初心，正本清源。

The economic base determines the superstructure. Land is the foundation of human survival, and also the foundation for farmers to settle down. Looking back at the practice of China's revolution, construction, reform, innovation, and development, mobilizing the people, guiding the people, arming the people, and liberating the people have all revolved around the main line of land system reform.

经济基础决定上层建筑。土地是人类赖以生存之本，更是农民安身立命之本。回首中国革命、建设、改革、创新、发展的实践，动员民众、引领民众、武装民众、解放民众，无一不是围绕土地制度变革这条主线而展开。

Looking at the 75-year development process of New China, it can be roughly divided into three stages: the 30 years from 1949 to 1978, starting from scratch, arduous exploration, and striving to build a highly unified planned economic management system; the 34 years from 1979 to 2012, reform and opening up, courageous practice, and gradually transitioning to a socialist market economic system; and the 11 years from 2013 to 2024, keeping pace with the times, upholding fundamental principles and breaking new ground, with the rural management system undergoing major changes along with changes in the national economic system, presenting distinctive features of the times. Reviewing the development process, summing up experiences and lessons, and looking ahead to broad prospects are of great significance for enhancing the sense of responsibility and mission and practicing Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era and the spirit of the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC. [4]4 The New Era (新时代) refers to the period beginning with the 18th National Congress of the CPC in 2012, marked by the leadership of Xi Jinping.

纵观新中国75年发展历程，大体可分为三个阶段：1949年至1978年30年间，白手起家、艰难探索、着力构建高度统一的计划经济管理体系；1979年至2012年34年间，改革开放、勇于实践，逐步向社会主义市场经济体制转变；2013年至2024年11年间，与时俱进、守正创新，农村经营体制也随着国家经济体制变化发生了重大变革，呈现了鲜明的时代特点。回顾发展历程，总结经验教训，展望广阔前景，对于增强责任感和使命感，践行习近平新时代中国特色社会主义思想和党的二十届三中全会精神，意义重大。

I. A Rough Journey with Brilliant Achievements

一、历程坎坷，成就辉煌

Since the 18th National Congress of the CPC, the Party Central Committee with Comrade Xi Jinping at its core has promoted theoretical innovation, practical innovation, and institutional innovation in the work concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers. It has insisted on solving the issues concerning agriculture, rural areas, and farmers as the top priority of the entire Party's work, earnestly implemented the priority development of agriculture and rural areas, made new breakthroughs in rural reform, steadily advanced reforms of the rural land system and the rural collective property rights system, achieved substantive results in the reform of the system for purchasing and storing major agricultural products, fostered a thriving atmosphere of rural entrepreneurship and innovation and investment, accelerated the growth of new drivers of rural development, took new steps in urban-rural integration, successfully completed the task of poverty alleviation, and fully achieved the goal of moderate prosperity across the board. [5]5 The 18th National Congress of the CPC was held in November 2012 and marked the beginning of the New Era.[6]6 "Agriculture, rural areas, and farmers" (三农, san nong) is a standard abbreviation in Chinese policy discourse for these three interrelated issues.

党的十八大以来，以习近平同志为核心的党中央推动“三农”工作理论创新、实践创新、制度创新，坚持把解决好“三农”问题作为全党工作重中之重，切实把农业农村优先发展落到实处，农村改革取得新突破，农村土地制度、农村集体产权制度改革稳步推进，重要农产品收储制度改革取得实质性成效，农村创新创业和投资兴业蔚然成风，农村发展新动能加快成长，城乡发展一体化迈出新步伐，胜利完成脱贫攻坚任务，全面整体实现小康目标。

The reform of the rural land contract and management system, on the basis of realizing the separation of three rights, persists in adhering to ownership, stabilizing contracting rights, and enlivening management rights. As of 2020, China had completed the registration and certification of contracted land rights for 1.5 billion mu, issuing land contract management rights certificates to 200 million farming households. It has explored the implementation of extending the second round of land contract period by another 30 years after its expiration, ensuring that the vast majority of farming households' existing contracted land remains stable. It continues to advocate the principle of "no increase in land with an increase in people, no decrease in land with a decrease in people," and establishes and improves a mechanism for voluntary and compensated transfer of land contracting rights. Significant progress has been made in the "three pilot programs" concerning rural land expropriation, the market entry of collective-operated construction land, and the reform of the homestead system. The reform of the rural land expropriation system has achieved positive results in safeguarding the rights and interests of land-expropriated farmers. The rule system for the market entry of rural collective-operated construction land has basically taken shape. The reform of the rural homestead system has also carried out multifaceted beneficial explorations. [7]7 The "separation of three rights" (三权分置) refers to the separation of ownership, contracting rights, and management rights of rural land.[8]8 "No increase in land with an increase in people, no decrease in land with a decrease in people" (增人不增地、减人不减地) is a policy principle that keeps contracted land unchanged despite changes in household population.[9]9 The second round of land contract periods ends around 2027; the policy extends them another 30 years to maintain stability.

农村土地承包经营制度改革，在实现“三权分置”的基础上，坚持所有权、稳定承包权、放活经营权。截至2020年，我国已完成15亿亩承包地确权登记颁证，为两亿农户颁发土地承包经营权证书。探索落实第二轮土地承包期到期后再延长三十年，确保绝大多数农户原有承包地继续保持稳定，继续提倡“增人不增地、减人不减地”，建立健全土地承包权依法自愿有偿转让机制。围绕农村土地征收、集体经营性建设用地入市、宅基地制度改革的“三项试点”取得明显进展。农村土地征收制度改革在保障被征地农民权益方面取得了积极成效，农村集体经营性建设用地入市的规则体系基本形成，农村宅基地制度改革也进行了多方面的有益探索。

In the New Era, building a new-type agricultural management system emphasizes both cultivating entities and innovating services. On the one hand, one of the key points of building a new-type agricultural management system is to develop and strengthen the ranks of new-type agricultural business entities such as farmer cooperatives, leading enterprises, family farms, etc., making them an important force supporting the development of modern agriculture. On the other hand, based on the basic national conditions of scattered, small-scale, and part-time farming households, emphasis is placed on leveraging the driving role of various new-type agricultural business entities and promoting their organic integration with the development of modern agriculture.

新时代构建新型农业经营体系既注重培育主体，又强调创新服务。一方面，构建新型农业经营体系的重点之一是发展壮大农民合作社、龙头企业、家庭农场等新型农业经营主体队伍，使其成为支持现代农业发展的重要力量。一方面，立足分散、小规模、兼业化农户的基本国情，注重发挥各类新型农业经营主体的带动作用，促进其与现代农业发展有机衔接。

In the New Era, the focus of improving and perfecting the agricultural support and protection system is to fully tap the potential of financial support for agricultural and rural development on the basis of insisting on giving priority to agriculture and rural areas in fiscal investment, implementing the strategy of "storing grain in the land and storing grain in technology," and accelerating the building of an agricultural powerhouse. In 2016, the reform of the "three subsidies" was rolled out nationwide, merging the improved variety subsidy, direct grain subsidy, and comprehensive agricultural materials subsidy into an agricultural support and protection subsidy, with the policy goal adjusted to support the protection of arable land fertility and moderate-scale grain operations. As of the end of 2023, the country had cumulatively built over 1 billion mu of well-facilitated farmland. The national total grain output has remained stable at over 1.3 trillion jin for nine consecutive years. The transition from a traditional agriculture dominated by crop farming to modern agriculture with all-round development of farming, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery has been realized. The added value of the primary, secondary, and tertiary industries accounted for 7.1%, 38.3%, and 54.6% of GDP respectively. [10]10 "Storing grain in the land and storing grain in technology" (藏粮于地、藏粮于技) is a national strategy to ensure food security through farmland protection and technological innovation.[11]11 The "three subsidies" (三项补贴) were the improved variety subsidy, direct grain subsidy, and comprehensive agricultural materials subsidy, merged in 2016 into a single agricultural support and protection subsidy.[12]12 Well-facilitated farmland (高标准农田) refers to farmland with improved infrastructure for high and stable yields.

新时代健全完善农业支持保护制度的重点是在坚持财政优先投向农业农村的基础上，充分挖掘金融支持农业农村发展的潜力，落实“藏粮于地、藏粮于技”战略，加快建设农业强国。2016年，“三项补贴”改革在全国推开，良种补贴、种粮直接补贴和农资综合补贴合并为农业支持保护补贴，政策目标调整为支持耕地地力保护和粮食适度规模经营。截至2023年底，全国累计建成高标准农田超过10亿亩。全国粮食总产量连续9年稳定在1.3万亿斤以上。实现由种植业为主的传统农业向农林牧渔业全面发展的现代农业转变。第一、二、三产业增加值占国内生产总值比重分别为7.1%、38.3%、54.6%。

Agricultural insurance has continued to expand coverage, increase product types, and raise standards, playing a positive role in ensuring food security and serving comprehensive rural revitalization. In 2020, China became the country with the largest agricultural insurance premium scale in the world. The risk protection provided by agricultural insurance for farmers increased from 0.9 trillion yuan in 2012 to 4.7 trillion yuan in 2021, with an average annual growth rate of 20.2% over the past decade. In 2022, the central finance allocated 30.9 billion yuan in premium subsidies, including 5.9 billion yuan in special awards. China's agricultural insurance covers an area of 2.1 billion mu of major crops, accounting for about 84% of the national sown area, and covers more than 210 types of agricultural products, basically covering China's main grain crops and major bulk agricultural products such as sugar, oil crops, and live pigs, providing important guarantees for serving the national food security and rural revitalization strategies.

农业保险持续扩面、增品、提标，在保障粮食安全和服务乡村全面振兴等方面发挥了积极作用。2020年，我国成为全球农业保险保费规模最大的国家，农业保险为农户提供风险保障从2012年的0.9万亿元增长至2021年的4.7万亿元，近十年年均增长率为20.2%。2022年中央财政下达保费补贴309亿元，其中包括特色奖补金额达到59亿元。我国农业保险承保主要农作物面积达到21亿亩，约占全国播种面积的84％，承保农作物品种超过210种，基本覆盖我国主要粮食作物和糖料、油料、生猪等主要大宗农产品，为服务国家粮食安全和乡村振兴战略提供了重要保障。

In 2023, the per capita disposable income of rural residents was 21,691 yuan, and the average monthly income of migrant workers was 4,780 yuan; the income growth rate of farmers in poverty-stricken areas continued to be faster than the national average, and the endogenous development momentum of contiguous poverty-stricken areas was significantly enhanced. The total number of migrant workers nationwide was 297.53 million, an increase of 34.92 million compared with 2012; the permanent urban population of the country reached 930 million; the urbanization rate of the permanent population was 66.2%. A total of 150 million agricultural transfer population settled in cities and towns, and the urbanization rate of the registered population reached 48.3%. Comprehensive rural revitalization has been steadily promoted, the urban-rural income gap has continued to narrow, rural transportation and communication facilities have been continuously improved, and the level of basic public services has been raised.

2023年，农村居民人均可支配收入21691元、农民工月均收入水平4780元；贫困地区农民收入增速持续快于全国平均水平，集中连片特困地区内生发展动力明显增强。全国农民工总量29753万人，比2012年增加3492万人；我国城镇常住人口达9.3亿人；常住人口城镇化率为66.2%。全国1.5亿农业转移人口落户城镇，户籍人口城镇化率达到48.3%。乡村全面振兴稳步推进，城乡收入差距持续缩小，农村交通通信设施不断完善，基本公共服务水平提升。

Since the full launch of rural reform in the late 1970s, Chinese agriculture has risen rapidly and achieved sustained and substantial development. After the historic transformation from having enough to eat and wear to eating well and dressing fashionably, it has now fully achieved the goal of moderate prosperity and is marching towards eating healthily and dressing stylishly. After eight consecutive years of hard work, by the end of 2020, under the current standard, all 98.99 million rural poor had been lifted out of poverty, all 832 poverty-stricken counties had been removed from the poverty list, and all 128,000 impoverished villages had been delisted. Regional overall poverty was resolved, and the arduous task of eliminating absolute poverty was completed, creating a miracle in the history of human poverty reduction and achieving the poverty reduction goal of the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development ten years ahead of schedule. The path of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics has contributed Chinese wisdom and Chinese solutions to global poverty reduction, and the brilliant achievements highlight the superiority of the socialist system under the leadership of the CPC. At the same time, comprehensive rural revitalization has been promoted, and the overall situation has been unfolded in reform, innovation, and bold practice. [13]13 The path of poverty reduction with Chinese characteristics (中国特色减贫道路) refers to the targeted poverty alleviation approach led by the CPC that eliminated absolute poverty by 2020.

二十世纪七十年代末全面启动农村改革以来，中国农业迅速崛起、持续长足发展，在经历了吃饱穿暖、吃好穿靓的历史性转变之后，已经全面实现小康目标，正向吃得健康、穿得时尚进军。经过8年接续奋斗，到2020年底现行标准下9899万农村贫困人口全部脱贫，832个贫困县全部摘帽，12.8万个贫困村全部出列，区域性整体贫困得到解决，完成消除绝对贫困的艰巨任务，创造了人类减贫史上的奇迹，提前10年实现联合国2030年可持续发展议程的减贫目标。中国特色减贫道路为全球减贫贡献了中国智慧和中国方案，辉煌成就彰显出在中国共产党领导下的社会主义制度优势。与此同时，推进乡村全面振兴，在改革创新、大胆实践中全面布开局面。

II. Upholding Fundamental Principles and Breaking New Ground, Comprehensive Rural Revitalization

二、守正创新，乡村全面振兴

Promoting comprehensive rural revitalization is an inevitable requirement for resolving the principal contradiction in Chinese society in the New Era, realizing the new centenary goal of struggle, and the Chinese Dream of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation. It has great practical significance and far-reaching historical significance. Not only does it set the development goal as realizing the modernization of agriculture and rural areas, comprehensively achieving strong agriculture, beautiful countryside, and prosperous farmers, but more importantly, agriculture, rural areas, and farmers will change their previous subordinate status premised on serving industry and urban residents and submitting to urban construction, fundamentally establishing the mainstay status of urban-rural reform and development and sharing the fruits.

推进乡村全面振兴，是解决新时代我国社会主要矛盾、实现新的百年奋斗目标和中华民族伟大复兴的中国梦的必然要求，具有重大现实意义和深远历史意义。不仅将发展目标确立为实现农业农村现代化，全面实现农业强、农村美、农民富，更为重要的是，农业、农村、农民将改变以往以服务于工业和城市居民、服从于城市建设为前提的从属地位，从根本上确立了城乡改革发展和分享成果的主体地位。

The vivid practice of Party building leading, breaking new ground through reform, gathering talent, and building beautiful and harmonious countryside deeply reveals to people: industrial revitalization is the foundation, cultural revitalization is the soul, ecological revitalization is the support, organizational revitalization is the guarantee, and talent revitalization is the key. [14]14 "Beautiful and harmonious countryside" (和美乡村) is a policy concept for rural areas that are ecologically livable, civilized, effectively governed, and prosperous.

党建引领、改革破题、凝聚人才、建设和美乡村的生动实践，深刻地向人们揭示：产业振兴是基础，文化振兴是灵魂，生态振兴是支撑，组织振兴是保障，人才振兴是关键。

A strong country must first strengthen agriculture; only when agriculture is strong can the country be strong. To build a modern socialist country in an all-round way and realize the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation, the most arduous and heavy task remains in the countryside, the broadest and deepest foundation still lies in the countryside, and the most beautiful and brilliant prospects are still in the countryside. How to follow the construction and governance goals of "accelerating industrial agglomeration, improving the ecological environment, enhancing the quality of life, ensuring income growth, and promoting social harmony," adapt measures to local conditions, speed up the pace, focus on implementation, emphasize practical results, earnestly ensure the stable and safe supply of grain and major agricultural products, solidly promote the effective connection between consolidating and expanding poverty alleviation achievements and comprehensive rural revitalization, and ensure the role of the "ballast stone" in stabilizing the overall situation of China's economic and social development with down-to-earth achievements of comprehensive rural revitalization, the task is arduous and the road is long.

强国必先强农，农强方能国强。全面建设社会主义现代化国家，实现中华民族伟大复兴，最艰巨最繁重的任务依然在农村，最广泛最深厚的基础依然在农村，最和美最绚丽的前景依然在农村。如何按照“加快产业集聚，改善生态环境，提升生活质量，确保收入增长，促进社会和谐”的建设和治理目标，因地制宜，加快步伐，重在实施，贵在实效，确实抓好粮食和重要农产品稳定安全供给，扎实推进巩固拓展脱贫攻坚成果同乡村全面振兴有效衔接，以脚踏实地的乡村全面振兴成果，确保发挥稳定我国经济社会发展大局“压舱石”作用，任重而道远。

The tasks can be summarized into three major priorities: taking grain as the foundation to ensure national food security, including the quality and quantity safety of diversified products such as farming, forestry, animal husbandry, and fishery; taking people as the foundation to ensure farmers' basic rights and interests, including the basic rights and economic interests of agricultural workers and migrant workers; taking agriculture as the foundation to ensure healthy and sustainable development, including the healthy and sustainable development of the economy, society, and ecology with the ecological environment as the focus.

任务可以归纳为三大重点：以粮为本，确保国家食物安全，包括农林牧渔业等多元化产品数量和质量安全；以人为本，确保农民基本权益，包括农工、农民工的基本权益和经济利益；以农为本，确保健康持续发展，包括以生态环境为重点的经济社会生态健康持续发展。

To implement the requirements of the central authorities, we must accurately grasp the laws, characteristics, and trends of development, fully tap the five major potentials of natural resources, modern agriculture, rural tourism, idle rural houses, and rural culture, focus on improving production capacity, improving the ecological environment, making life convenient and comfortable, making life beautiful and splendid, and transforming relations of production, and propose strategic positioning, construction goals, path choices, work priorities, specific measures, safeguard measures, driving mechanisms, project support, etc. according to local conditions. This should not only highlight regional characteristics but also be good at drawing on the strengths of others, be forward-looking, advanced, and operable, integrate resources, grasp key points, solve difficulties, and promote pragmatically: focus on the "five aspects of life" to achieve the "five beauties." Focus on improving production capacity to achieve thriving industries; focus on improving the ecological environment to achieve ecological livability; focus on making life convenient and comfortable to achieve prosperous life; focus on making life beautiful and splendid to achieve civilized rural customs; focus on transforming relations of production to achieve effective governance. [15]15 The "five aspects of life" (五生) are improvement of production capacity, ecological environment, convenience and comfort of life, splendor of life, and transformation of relations of production; the "five beauties" (五美) are industrial beauty, ecological beauty, life beauty, humanistic beauty, and harmonious beauty.

贯彻落实中央要求，必须准确把握发展规律、特点和趋势，充分挖掘自然资源、现代农业、乡村旅游、闲置农宅、乡村文化五大潜力，着眼生产能力提升、生态环境改善、生活方便舒适、生命美丽精彩、生产关系变革，因地制宜提出战略定位、建设目标、路径选择、工作重点、具体举措、保障措施、动力机制、项目支撑等，既突出地域特色，又善于博采众长，具有前瞻性、先进性和可操作性，整合资源、抓住关键、破解难题、务实推进：注重“五生”实现“五美”。注重生产能力提升，实现产业兴旺；注重生态环境改善，实现生态宜居；注重生活方便舒适，实现生活富裕；注重生命美丽光彩，实现乡风文明；注重生产关系变革，实现治理有效。

III. Staying True to the Original Aspiration, Setting Things Right

三、不忘初心，正本清源

The report of the 20th National Congress of the CPC systematically expounded the five characteristics of Chinese-path modernization, namely: Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of a huge population, Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of common prosperity for all the people, Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of material civilization and cultural-ethical progress in harmony, Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of harmonious coexistence between humans and nature, and Chinese-path modernization is the modernization of taking the path of peaceful development. The Decision of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China on Further Comprehensively Deepening Reform and Advancing Chinese-Path Modernization adopted by the Third Plenary Session of the 20th Central Committee of the CPC emphasizes adhering to and implementing the "two unswervinglies." Unswervingly consolidate and develop the public ownership economy, and unswervingly encourage, support, and guide the development of the non-public ownership economy. The rural collective economy is an important part of the socialist public ownership economy. Continuously improving and innovating the rural management system and mechanism is the top priority of deepening rural reform and promoting economic development in the new era. [16]16 The 20th National Congress of the CPC was held in October 2022.[17]17 The "two unswervinglies" (两个毫不动摇) refer to unswervingly consolidating and developing the public sector of the economy and unswervingly encouraging, supporting, and guiding the development of the non-public sector.

党的二十大报告，系统阐述了中国式现代化的五大特征，即中国式现代化是人口规模巨大的现代化、中国式现代化是全体人民共同富裕的现代化、中国式现代化是物质文明和精神文明相协调的现代化、中国式现代化是人与自然和谐共生的现代化、中国式现代化是走和平发展道路的现代化。党的二十届三中全会通过的《中共中央关于进一步全面深化改革、推进中国式现代化决定》强调，坚持和落实“两个毫不动摇”。毫不动摇巩固和发展公有制经济，毫不动摇鼓励、支持、引导非公有制经济发展。农村集体经济是社会主义公有制经济的重要组成部分，不断完善创新农村经营体制机制，是新时期深化农村改革、促进经济发展的重中之重。

The original aspiration is easy to acquire, but it is difficult to hold to the end. The changes and practical experiences and lessons of the century-long history of the Party tell us that forgetting the past means betrayal. To fight for, secure, and build the country, we must never weaken the foundation of agriculture, farmers, and rural areas, and strengthen the "six musts": we must put safeguarding farmers' rights and interests in the first place; we must respect the pioneering spirit of the vast number of farmers; we must adhere to the collective ownership of rural working masses; we must focus on establishing and perfecting laws and regulations; we must build an organizational guarantee adapted to rural management; and we must firmly grasp the crucial bottom-line thinking: first, not at the expense of reducing basic farmland; second, not at the expense of destroying the ecological environment; third, not at the expense of harming farmers' rights and interests; fourth, not at the expense of subverting collective ownership. [18]18 The "six musts" (六个必须) are the six requirements listed in this paragraph for safeguarding farmers' rights and rural collective ownership.[19]19 "Bottom-line thinking" (底线思维) is a CPC conceptual tool that emphasizes preparing for the worst-case scenario while striving for the best outcome.

初心易得，始终难守。建党百年变革实践和经验教训告诉我们，忘记过去就意味着背叛。打江山、守江山、建江山，绝不能弱化农业、农民、农村根基，强化“六个必须”：必须将维护农民权益放在首要位置，必须坚持尊重广大农民的首创精神，必须坚持农村劳动群众集体所有制，必须着力于建立健全法律法规制度，必须构建适应农村经管的组织保障，必须牢牢把握至关重要的底线思维：一是不以减少基本农田为代价，二是不以破坏生态环境为代价，三是不以损害农民权益为代价，四是不以颠覆集体所有制为代价。

Foundation for settling down. Rural farmers, arable land, aquaculture water surfaces, forestland, and grassland are not only the foundation for farmers to settle down and the basis for rural economic and social development, but also the largest potential resource for the distribution of rural collective economic income. Rural collective property that farmers rely on for production and life belongs to all members of the collective economic organizations of townships, villages, and community groups, including land owned by the collective and natural resources such as forests, mountains, grasslands, wastelands, tidal flats, and water surfaces legally owned by the collective; the property rights of rural homesteads, private plots, and private hills; assets of collective enterprises established through public accumulation, investment, and labor contributions, buildings and structures constructed, and purchased transportation vehicles, machinery, electromechanical equipment, etc.; and funds such as cash, bank deposits, and securities owned by the collective and its enterprises.

安身立命之本。农村农民、耕地、养殖水面、林地草原，既是农民安身立命之本、农村经济社会发展的基础，也是农村集体经济收益分配最大的潜力资源。农民赖以生产、生活的农村集体财产，归乡镇、村组社区集体经济组织全体成员共同所有，包括集体所有的土地和法律规定属于集体所有的森林、山岭、草原、荒地、滩涂、水面等自然资源，农村的宅基地、自留地、自留山的产权，通过公共积累、投资投劳所兴办的集体企业资产和兴建的建筑物、构筑物以及购置的交通运输工具、机械、机电设备等资产，集体及其企业所拥有的现金、银行存款 、有价证券等资金。

Source of economic income. The land contract management rights, homestead usufruct rights, and collective economic income distribution rights granted by the collective economy are the most important sources of farmers' income.

经济收入之源。集体经济所赋予的土地承包经营权、宅基地用益物权和集体经济收益分配权是农民收入最重要的来源。

Basis for safeguarding rights and interests. China has entered a critical period of reform and development, with rural social contradictions becoming prominent.

维护权益之基。我国已进入改革发展的关键时期，农村社会矛盾凸显。

By 2021, the reform of the rural collective property rights system had basically completed its phased tasks. As of the end of 2020, the country had 6.55 billion mu of collective land, identified 900 million collective members, and basically achieved "clear assets and clear accounts." [20]20 "Clear assets and clear accounts" (底清账明) refers to the completion of asset verification and bookkeeping in rural collective property rights reform.

到2021年，农村集体产权制度改革已经基本完成阶段性任务。截至2020年底，全国共有集体土地65.5亿亩，确认集体成员9亿人，基本实现了“底清账明”。

The main measures for deepening the reform of the rural collective economic system are: first, promptly publicize and implement laws and regulations to lay a solid foundation for good governance in the countryside. Second, improve the village-level democratic self-governance mechanism to straighten out relations for each to perform its own duties. Third, perfect community collective economic organizations to guarantee operation for settling down and safeguarding rights. Fourth, define the membership qualifications of economic organizations to lay the foundation for clarifying rights and interests. Fifth, optimize the development environment for collective organizations to add impetus for sustainable development. Sixth, advance the reform of the collective property rights system to stimulate vitality for institutional innovation. Seventh, strengthen the construction of the collective asset system to create conditions for maintaining and increasing value. Eighth, enrich agricultural management supervision and service institutions to provide support for guidance and control.

深化农村集体经济体制改革的主要举措：一是抓紧法律法规宣传贯彻，为善治乡村夯实根基。二是健全村级民主自治机制，为各司其职理顺关系。三是完善社区集体经济组织，为安身维权保障运营。四是界定经济组织成员资格，为明晰权属奠定基础。五是优化集体组织发展环境，为持续发展增添动力。六是推进集体产权制度改革，为机制创新激发活力。七是强化集体资产制度建设，为保值增值创造条件。八是充实农经监管服务机构，为指导调控提供支撑。

Improve the rural governance system of the New Era that combines self-governance, rule of law, and rule of virtue. In the last century, "villages watch villages, households watch households, and members watch cadres"; nowadays, "villages watch villages, households watch households, and the masses watch the Party branch." We should fully advocate and promote the practice of the "three carriages pulled by one shaft" of the Party organization, the village committee, and the collective economic organization. Care should be taken to prevent the act of cashing in on rural land ecological resources under the pretext of expanding the collective economy, and fueling the privatization of rural land in the name of protecting "all assets of farmers" and "small assets of farmers." Guided by agricultural industrialization, factor cooperation, professionalization of management, socialization of services, and shareholderization of farmers, we should adhere to and improve the basic rural management system, guide and accelerate the reform of the rural collective property rights system, and explore and innovate effective forms of realizing rural collective ownership. [21]21 The "three carriages pulled by one shaft" (三驾马车一担挑) refers to the practice of having the Party branch secretary, village committee head, and head of the collective economic organization all held by one person or closely coordinated.

健全自治、法治、德治相结合的新时代乡村治理体系。上世纪，“村看村户看户，社员看干部”；现如今，“村看村户看户，群众看支部”。应全面提倡推广党组织、村委会、集体经济组织三驾马车“一担挑”做法，注意防止打着壮大集体经济的幌子，搞所谓农村土地生态资源变现，以保护“农民所有资产”“农民小额资产”为名，为农村土地私有化推波助澜。以农业产业化、要素合作化、经营职业化、服务社会化、农民股权化为导向，坚持完善农村基本经营制度，引导加快农村集体产权制度改革，探索创新农村集体所有制的有效实现形式。

Provide basic support for opening new situations, responding to changes, and stabilizing the overall situation through good governance of the countryside. Rural construction must focus on both material and human aspects, shape both form and soul, and grasp both material civilization and cultural-ethical progress to achieve a comprehensive improvement of the countryside from the surface to the core, combining form and spirit. "Rural civilization is the main body of the history of Chinese civilization, villages are the carriers of this civilization, and the culture of farming and reading is our soft power." The countryside is the birthplace of China's traditional civilization. The roots of local culture cannot be cut off, and the countryside cannot become a barren countryside, a left-behind countryside, or a homeland in memory. Building beautiful and harmonious countryside is to bring benefits to the villagers. Money should not be spent on unnecessary things, and large-scale demolition and construction should be avoided, especially the protection of ancient villages. "In building a new socialist countryside, attention must be paid to protecting the ecological environment, preserving local flavors, reflecting rural characteristics, retaining rural landscapes, adhering to cultural heritage, and developing beautiful towns with historical memories, regional characteristics, and ethnic features." [22]22 "Opening new situations, responding to changes, and stabilizing the overall situation" (开新局、应变局、稳大局) is a rhetorical formulation used in Party documents to describe the role of rural governance.

以善治乡村为开新局、应变局、稳大局提供基础支撑。乡村建设既要见物也要见人，既要塑形也要铸魂，既要抓物质文明也要抓精神文明，实现乡村由表及里、形神兼备的全面提升。“乡村文明是中华民族文明史的主体，村庄是这种文明的载体，耕读文明是我们的软实力。”农村是我国传统文明的发源地，乡土文化的根不能断，农村不能成为荒芜的农村、留守的农村、记忆中的故园。 建设和美乡村，是要给乡亲们造福，不要把钱花在不必要的事情上，不能大拆大建，特别是要保护好古村落。“搞新农村建设要注意生态环境保护，注意乡土味道，体现农村特点，保留乡村风貌，坚持传承文化，发展有历史记忆、地域特色、民族特点的美丽乡镇。”

The goals of comprehensive rural revitalization should be:

乡村全面振兴的目标应当是：

Focus on improving production capacity to achieve industrial beauty;

注重生产能力提升，实现产业美；

Focus on improving the ecological environment to achieve ecological beauty;

注重生态环境改善，实现生态美；

Focus on making life convenient and comfortable to achieve life beauty;

注重生活方便舒适，实现生活美；

Focus on making life beautiful and splendid to achieve humanistic beauty;

注重生命美丽精彩，实现人文美；

Focus on transforming relations of production to achieve harmonious beauty.

注重生产关系变革，实现和谐美。

(Guan Ruijie, former Inspector and Researcher of the Ministry of Agriculture)

（关锐捷，原农业部巡视员 研究员）

Online Editor: Hui Hui

网络编辑：慧慧