Promoting Common Prosperity by Developing the New-Type Rural Collective Economy

Common prosperity is the essential requirement of socialism and an important feature of Chinese-path modernization. As an important form of realization of the socialist public-ownership economy, strengthening the rural collective economy is a key pathway for leading farmers to achieve common prosperity. The new-type rural collective economy is a new economic form in which members of village collectives use new modes of operation to integrate collective resources and achieve common development through cooperation or association. Developing and strengthening the new-type rural collective economy is a crucial pathway for advancing agricultural modernization, raising rural productive forces and farmers’ incomes, and is of great significance for promoting common prosperity.

共同富裕是社会主义的本质要求，是中国式现代化的重要特征。作为社会主义公有制经济的重要实现形式，壮大农村集体经济是引领农民实现共同富裕的重要途径。新型农村集体经济是村集体成员利用新的经营方式整合集体资源，并通过合作或联合实现共同发展的一种新的经济形态。发展和壮大新型农村集体经济是推动农业现代化、提升农村生产力和农民收入的关键途径，对于推动共同富裕具有重要意义。

The “new” connotations of the new-type rural collective economy. As a new form of the collective-ownership economy, the new-type rural collective economy is the sum total of multiple new types of economic relations. Compared with the traditional rural collective economy, the new-type rural collective economy possesses “new” connotations and characteristics such as clear property rights relations, diversified modes of participation, and varied modes of operation.

新型农村集体经济的“新”内涵。新型农村集体经济作为集体所有制经济的一种新形态，是多种新型经济关系的总和。与传统农村集体经济相比，新型农村集体经济具有产权关系清晰、参与方式多元、经营方式多样等“新”的内涵与特征。

First, clear property rights relations provide a basis for distributing farmers’ incomes. Before the launch of pilot work on property rights reform in our country, collective economies in various localities suffered from problems such as unclear asset property rights and non-standard management. Along with the increasing perfection of the socialist market economy system, the new-type rural collective economy has fully released the vitality of rural development, effectively revitalized scattered rural resources, and creatively quantified collective operational assets. These collective operational assets, converted into shares and quantified, have promoted the quantitative reform of turning farmers into shareholders, resources into assets, and funds into shares, helping organizational members better share in the development achievements of the collective economy.

第一，清晰的产权关系，提供农民收入分配依据。在我国产权改革试点工作开展以前，各地集体经济存在资产产权不明、管理不规范等问题。伴随着社会主义市场经济体制的日益完善，新型农村集体经济充分释放了农村发展活力，有效盘活了农村的分散资源，创造性地量化了集体经营性资产。这些折股量化的集体经营性资产，推动了农民变股东、资源变资产、资金变股金的量化改革，有助于组织成员更好地分享集体经济的发展成果。

Second, diversified participating subjects reflect the increasing perfection of the rural governance system. The traditional rural collective economy had a single participating subject, and production and operation decisions were mainly made through unified planning by a small number of participating subjects. The new-type rural collective economy emphasizes the role of market mechanisms, with farmers’ voluntary participation as the mainstay, and the joint participation of other diversified subjects such as leading enterprises, farmers’ cooperatives, specialized large households, and family farms; production and operation decisions are more standardized and democratic. This decision-making mechanism helps build a more complete supervision system, strengthens the capacity for supervising and managing collective assets, and makes the rural governance system more perfect.

第二，多元化的参与主体，体现农村治理体系更加完善。传统农村集体经济参与主体单一，生产经营决策主要由少数参与主体统一计划进行。新型农村集体经济注重发挥市场机制的作用，以农民自愿参与为主，龙头企业、农民合作社、专业大户、家庭农场等其他多元主体共同参与，生产经营决策更加规范化、民主化。这种决策机制有助于构建更加完善的监管制度，增强集体资产监督管理能力，使农村治理体系更加完善。

Third, diversified modes of operation promote a virtuous cycle of agricultural production. Unlike the traditional rural collective economy, which mostly generated collective operational income through village collective enterprises, the new-type rural collective economy includes not only autonomous operation by village collectives but also diversified modes of operation such as cooperation, equity participation, and contracting carried out with village collective assets; at the same time, the development of specialized industries, socialized services, and property leasing provides more diverse forms of development for the rural collective economy. In the process of diversification and multi-faceted operation, the new-type rural collective economy has not only significantly raised economic efficiency but also promoted the continuous improvement of the rural ecological environment, driving agricultural production to operate efficiently along a virtuous track.

第三，多样化的经营方式，促进农业生产良性循环。不同于传统农村集体经济多以村集体企业的方式带来集体性经营收益，新型农村集体经济包括村集体自主经营，还包括以村集体资产开展的合作、入股和承包等多元化的经营方式；同时，特色产业发展、社会化服务、物业租赁等为农村集体经济发展提供了更加多样的发展形式。在多样化和多元化经营过程中，新型农村集体经济不仅显著提高了经济效益，还推动农村生态环境的持续改善，促进农业生产沿着良性轨道高效运行。

At present, the new-type rural collective economy has achieved certain results in the distribution of farmers’ incomes, rural social governance, and agricultural production development, but constrained by various factors, it still faces many difficulties and problems. First, there is a relative shortage of human resources. Apart from problems such as insufficient construction of one’s own talent teams, with the acceleration of urbanization, the hollowing-out and aging of villages have become more prominent, affecting the development of the rural collective economy. Second, there is insufficient capital investment, manifested in limited external fiscal support and blocked financing channels, which restricts the further development of the new-type rural collective economy. Third, there are difficulties in industrial development. Because the decentralization and fragmentation of land production and operation increase the difficulty of resource integration, and because collective property rights are unclear, the link between obtaining income and personal earnings is weak, the incentive effect of developing the rural collective economy is rather limited.

当前，新型农村集体经济在农民收入分配、农村社会治理以及农业生产发展等方面取得了一定成效，但受各类因素限制，还面临不少困难和问题。一是人才资源相对匮乏。除了自身人才队伍建设不足等问题，随着城镇化进程的加快，乡村空心化、老龄化现象较为凸显，影响农村集体经济发展。二是资金投入不足，表现为外部财政资金支持力度有限以及融资渠道不畅，限制了新型农村集体经济的进一步发展。三是产业发展困难。由于土地生产经营的分散化、碎片化增加了资源整合难度，以及集体产权不清，获取收益与个人收入关联较弱，发展农村集体经济的激励效果较为有限。

Enhancing the capacity to “bring wealth,” “create wealth,” and “achieve wealth.” To solidly promote common prosperity for farmers and rural areas, it is necessary to fully leverage the unique advantages of the new-type rural collective economy, and by promoting talent leadership, broadening funding channels, and facilitating industrial development, effectively enhance the capacity of the rural collective economy to “bring wealth,” “create wealth,” and “achieve wealth.”

提升“带富”“创富”和“致富”能力。扎实推进农民农村共同富裕，需要充分发挥新型农村集体经济的独特优势，通过推动人才引领、拓宽资金渠道、促进产业发展等方式，切实提升农村集体经济的“带富”“创富”和“致富”能力。

First, promote talent leadership and enhance the capacity of the new-type rural collective economy to “bring wealth.” One is to fully leverage the role of grassroots Party organizations. Grassroots Party organizations are the “mainstay” [1]1 “Mainstay” (主心骨) is a colloquial Chinese metaphor for a core pillar or backbone that provides stability and direction. for developing the new-type rural collective economy and an important bridge between national policies and the rural development process. It is necessary to fully stimulate the entrepreneurial enthusiasm of grassroots Party organizations, especially village Party secretaries, and to give timely commendations and rewards to management “leaders” who have achieved notable results, obvious effects, and outstanding contributions in developing the village collective economy. Two is to improve the mechanism for attracting and cultivating talent. Encourage groups such as Party members with entrepreneurial ability and willingness, college-graduate village officials [2]2 “College-graduate village officials” (大学生村官) refers to a national program, initiated in the mid-2000s, in which university graduates are recruited to serve as assistant village officials in rural areas to strengthen grassroots governance and development., and retired Party cadres returning to live in their villages to advance the construction of modern agricultural industrial parks and agricultural entrepreneurship bases by returning to their hometowns to establish economic entities, lead farmers’ specialized cooperatives, and introduce projects. Rely on village Party organizations and village committees to carry out training for rural practical technical talent teams, and cultivate more technical management talent needed for collective economic development. Three is to strengthen the mechanism for retaining and utilizing talent. Accelerate the establishment of flexible evaluation mechanisms; the evaluation indicator systems for management posts and technical posts should differ, providing precise guidance for comprehensively understanding the development status of talent and promoting the healthy development of talent teams.

第一，推动人才引领，提升新型农村集体经济的“带富”能力。一是充分发挥基层党组织作用。基层党组织是发展新型农村集体经济的“主心骨”，是国家政策与乡村发展过程中的重要桥梁。要充分发挥基层党组织特别是村支书的干事创业热情，对发展村集体经济成绩显著、效果明显、贡献突出的管理“带头人”，应予以适时的表彰和奖励。二是完善引才育才机制。鼓励有创业能力和意愿的党员、大学生村官、离退休后回村居住的党员干部等群体，通过返乡创办经济实体、领办农民专业合作社、引进项目等，推进现代农业产生园和农业创业基地建设。依托村党组织、村委会开展农村实用技术人才队伍的培训，培育更多集体经济发展所需的技术管理人才。三是强化人才留用机制。加快建立弹性评估机制，管理岗和技术岗的评价指标体系应有所差别，为全面了解人才发展状况、推动人才队伍健康发展提供精准指导。

Second, broaden funding channels and enhance the capacity of the new-type rural collective economy to “create wealth.” One is to increase fiscal support. By setting up special funds and other means, support the investment and construction of rural collective economic organizations; also, through interest subsidies, rewards, and other methods, actively guide more social funds to be used for the development of the rural collective economy. At the same time, integrate various types of collective economy industries, strengthen support for villages with weak collective income, and promote balanced and synchronized development of the rural collective economy. Two is to stimulate the internal vitality of village collectives. By introducing modern agricultural technology and management models, improve the quality and production efficiency of agricultural products, increase operational income, and form the capacity for self-“hematopoiesis.” [3]3 “Hematopoiesis” (造血) is a metaphor for generating internal capacity for self-sustaining development, as opposed to relying on external transfusion (输血). Attract social capital investment through village industries, and utilize various types of investment fund operations to achieve capital aggregation and amplification effects. Three is to innovate financial service models. Enrich and expand rural financial products, providing comprehensive funding and loan support for farmers. Enhance farmers’ awareness and participation in agricultural insurance; agricultural insurance projects with distinctive local characteristics can be developed based on each locality’s own foundation and characteristics, effectively promoting the development of the local rural collective economy.

第二，拓宽资金渠道，提升新型农村集体经济的“创富”能力。一是加大财政支持力度。通过设立专项资金等方式，支持农村集体经济组织的投资建设，还可以通过贴息、奖励等方式，积极引导更多社会资金用于农村集体经济发展。同时，整合各类集体经济产业，加强对集体收入薄弱村的支持力度，推动农村集体经济均衡同步发展。二是激发村集体内在活力。通过引入现代农业技术和管理模式，提高农产品质量和生产效率，增加经营性收入，形成自我“造血”能力。通过村内产业吸引社会资本投入，利用各类投资基金运作实现资金集聚和放大效应。三是创新金融服务模式。丰富拓展农村金融产品，为农户提供全面的资金贷款支持。增强农户对农业保险的认知度和参与度，可根据各地自身基础和特点开发各具特色的农业保险项目，有效促进地方农村集体经济发展。

Third, promote industrial development and enhance the capacity of the new-type rural collective economy to “achieve wealth.” One is to implement policies tailored to each village and promote diversified development. Based on the actual conditions of each village, develop diversified collective economy models such as resource integration and utilization type, labor service export type, management service type, and collective development and operation type, effectively integrate resources, improve resource utilization rates, and prevent homogeneous competition. Innovate economic development models, improve the matching of preferential policies with resource development and utilization, and assist in the rapid development of each village’s characteristic industries. Two is to expand development space and innovate development pathways. Fully leverage the advantages of pillar industries and characteristic industries in various localities, promote the establishment of farmers’ specialized cooperative unions, and vigorously cultivate agricultural product brands with unique regional characteristics. Encourage village collectives to take the lead in developing various forms of agricultural socialized services, providing paid services before, during, and after production, fully playing the “leading goose” [4]4 “Leading goose” (头雁) is a metaphor for a pioneer or leader that guides others, commonly used in Chinese policy discourse to describe exemplary individuals or organizations. role of rural collective economic organizations, and providing various forms of intermediary services for the smooth connection between small farmers and the big market. Three is to actively promote mixed operation forms and clarify the operational subject status of collective economic organizations. Rely on our country’s “Rural Collective Economic Organization Law,” determine the market legal person status of rural collective economic organizations. Encourage rural collective economic organizations to carry out mixed operations and ownership structure reform with external enterprises in the form of enterprise legal persons, accelerate the transformation of collective assets into shareholder assets, and further consolidate the operational subject status of rural collective economic organizations. Rely on digital means, improve the supervision and management model of rural collective assets, enhance the management level and tradability of rural collective assets, and create a favorable environment for promoting mixed operations of the rural collective economy.

第三，促进产业发展，提升新型农村集体经济的“致富”能力。一是因村施策，推动多元化发展。根据各村实际情况，发展资源整合利用型、劳务输出型、管理服务型、集体开发经营型等多元化集体经济模式，有效整合资源，提高资源利用率，防止同质化竞争。创新经济发展模式，提升优惠政策和资源开发利用的匹配性，助力本村特色产业快速发展。二是拓展发展空间，创新发展路径。充分发挥各地支柱产业和特色产业优势，推动建立农民专业合作联合社，大力培育具有独特地域特色的农产品品牌。鼓励村集体带头发展多种形式的农业社会化服务，提供产前、产中、产后有偿服务，充分发挥农村集体经济组织“头雁”作用，为小农户与大市场的顺畅对接提供多种形式的居间服务。三是积极推进混合经营形式，明确集体经济组织经营主体地位。依托我国《农村集体经济组织法》，确定农村集体经济组织市场法人资格。鼓励农村集体经济组织以企业法人形式与外部企业开展混合经营和产权结构所有制改造，加快推进集体资产向股东资产转变，进一步夯实农村集体经济组织的经营主体地位。依托数字化手段，改进农村集体资产监督管理模式，增强农村集体资产的管理水平和可交易性，为推动农村集体经济混合经营营造良好环境。

(The author is an associate professor at the School of Economics and Management, Yangtze University)

（作者系长江大学经济与管理学院副教授）