Why farmers have broken through the barrier of the dual economic and social structure

The urban-rural dual structure system is a serious obstacle in China's economic and social development, mainly manifested in the urban-rural household registration barriers, two different resource allocation systems, as well as other problems based on the urban-rural household registration barriers. What is the "urban-rural dichotomy"? 1. Barriers to household registration between urban and rural areas. In January 1958, the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) at its third meeting discussed and adopted the Regulations on Household Registration in the People's Republic of China (PRC). This marked the formation of China's hukou migration system, which centered on strict restrictions on rural-urban migration. In the post-reform period, the temporary residence permit system can be seen both as a sign of the existence of this urban-rural barrier and as a measure to weaken it.2 Two different resource allocation systems. Resources in pre-reform Chinese society were allocated by administrative redistribution rather than by the market. For example, investment in education and public **** facilities. Education and infrastructure in the cities were almost entirely financed by the state, while in the countryside the state's input was quite limited, and a considerable part of it had to be borne by the countryside itself.3 The urban-rural barrier, based on the household registration system, in fact divided the urban and rural populations into two different social identities. The difference in status between these two social identities can be seen in the de facto non-intermarriage that exists between urban and rural areas. At present, the State provides hundreds of billions of yuan a year in various types of social security (old-age pension, medical care, unemployment, relief, subsidies, etc.) for urban residents, while peasants have virtually no protection against old age, sickness, death, injury or disability, and have to hand over to the countryside to provide subsidies and relief for the five-guarantee households and the families of martyrs and soldiers. Since reform and opening up, China has implemented a series of reform initiatives and policy measures aimed at promoting the coordinated development of the urban and rural economies, such as comprehensively implementing the household contract responsibility system and the long-term stabilization of farmers' right to land contracting; adjusting the industrialization strategy that gives priority to the development of heavy industry to support the development of agriculture and light industry; supporting the development of township and village enterprises, and facilitating the transfer of surplus agricultural labor to local areas; gradually liberalizing the circulation and prices of agricultural products, and fostering rural commodity markets; and gradually liberalizing the circulation and prices of agricultural products, and fostering rural commodity markets. and prices of agricultural products, and fostering rural commodity markets; implementing the urbanization strategy, and actively developing small towns. However, it cannot be denied that the trend of widening the gap between urban and rural areas in China continues to develop, and that the contradictions of the dual economic structure between urban and rural areas are tending to intensify. The widening gap between urban and rural areas is reflected in the income gap between urban and rural residents; in recent years, the growth in per capita net income of farmers has lagged far behind the growth in per capita disposable income in cities, and the ratio of urban to rural incomes has narrowed from 2.57 per cent in 1978 to 1.82 per cent in 1983, and has been widening ever since, expanding to 3.231 per cent in 2003; it has already exceeded that in the early years of the Reform and Opening-up period. If we take into account the various benefits and subsidies enjoyed by urban residents and the fact that farmers' incomes include factors such as production and business expenditures, the actual income gap may reach 6.1. In the context of China's economic and social landscape, which has undergone great changes, and in which the social productive forces and the overall power of the country have been significantly improved, the dual economic structure of urban and rural areas is still very prominent, and, in addition to being constrained by the stage of industrialization and the level of development of the productive forces, the key is to constrain the dual economic structure of urban and rural areas. In addition to the constraints imposed by the stage of industrialization and the level of development of productive forces, the key to the urban-rural dual economic structure is that many institutional problems have not yet been fundamentally resolved, which are mainly manifested in the following: the governance system of urban-rural differentiation During the period of the planned economy, in order to speed up the construction of industrialization, the state, on the one hand, used administrative means, such as through the mandatory unified purchase and marketing of food and the scissors difference between industrial and agricultural products, to transform the surplus of agricultural products into industrial accumulation; on the other hand, it restricted the migration of rural populations to the cities to maintain On the other hand, it restricted the migration of the rural population to the cities in order to maintain the development of capital-intensive urban large-scale industries. Since the reform and opening up, the urban-rural household registration, labor and social welfare systems that were formed during the planned economy have been inherited to a considerable extent, and although some places have carried out reforms of the household registration system, these reforms have not made much progress because of the hidden social welfare and many other factors, which entail high social costs, and thus the de facto inequality between urban and rural residents in terms of employment opportunities and social welfare levels has not yet been fundamentally changed. The de facto inequality between urban and rural residents in terms of employment opportunities and social welfare levels has not yet been fundamentally changed. From the perspective of the commodity market, due to their low degree of organization, farmers generally have access only to urban markets for sporadic, small-scale spot transactions, and basically have no access to wholesale markets, making it even more difficult for them to participate in large-volume forward contract and futures transactions, and the wholesale trade in large-volume agricultural products such as grains, cotton, oil, and sugar is still basically monopolized by state-owned distribution enterprises. From the factor market, the money market and capital market are mainly oriented to the urban economy due to the low average profit rate of agriculture and the drive by interests, and the relatively abundant capital in the cities has not entered the countryside, and the conditions and channels for farmers to participate in the market and capital market are very limited; the conversion of rural land into land for industrial and urban construction cannot be marketed directly, and it must be converted into state-owned land through expropriation by the state before it can be entered into the market; the primary market is controlled by the state, and the secondary market is controlled by the state, and the secondary market is controlled by the state. The primary market is controlled by the state, and it is difficult for farmers to enter the secondary market. Farmers are in a weak position in land transactions, and it is difficult for them to share in the huge value-added gains formed in the process of transforming agricultural land into non-agricultural land. Separation of urban and rural areas in the mode of industrialization During the period of planned economy, rural resources were concentrated to promote urban industrialization, which to a large extent blocked the process of urban-rural economic integration in China. After the reform and opening up, the implementation of the model of industrialization with urban and rural areas separated, the production, circulation and processing of agricultural products did not form an organic link, and it was difficult for farmers to share the value-added gains from the processing of agricultural products; the township and village enterprises were independent of the industry in terms of the governance system, which was both all-encompassing and self-systematic; and the industrialization of the rural areas, which was "not separated from the countryside", was in parallel development and overly competitive with the industrialization of the cities. The parallel development of rural "off-the-land, not off-the-land" industrialization and urban industrialization and excessive competition have caused rural industries to be significantly constrained in their space for development after changes in the pattern of supply and demand in the market and the docking of the domestic market with the international market, and have weakened their ability to absorb surplus rural labor, which has both directly and indirectly affected farmers' ability to share in the fruits of industrialization. Implementing a differentiated input mechanism During the planned economy, in order to maintain the development of large, capital-intensive urban industries, the State concentrated its investment in cities on production factors such as capital, technology and human resources, while at the same time relying on agricultural accumulation to support the development of urban industries. After the reform and opening up, on the one hand, the factors of production such as capital, labor and land in rural areas were transferred and concentrated to the cities under the driving force of economic benefits; on the other hand, the state continued to tilt towards the cities in terms of investment in infrastructure and public ****services facilities such as science, education, culture and health, etc., while the rural areas relied to a certain extent on self-accumulation, such as the "three co-ordination and five retention", to carry out corresponding infrastructures and services. The rural areas, however, rely to some extent on self-accumulation, such as the "three coordinators and five retentions", for the construction of corresponding infrastructure and public **** service facilities, thus widening the gap between urban and rural areas in terms of infrastructure and public **** service facilities in various areas. To sum up, institutional factors have in fact shaped the mutual isolation of agricultural and rural development from industrialization and urban development, and are the key to the urban-rural dual economic structure.4 Difficulties of ReformFully familiar with the longevity, arduousness, and complexity of the reformEstablishment of a new system conducive to changing the urban-rural dual economic structure, and promotion of the transformation of the urban-rural dual economic structure into the modern one-economy and society structure, is a profound social change It is a profound social change. It includes not only the transformation of rural production and lifestyles with urban production and lifestyles, the reorganization of factors of production and the movement and relocation of rural populations to the cities, the organic integration of urban and rural industries, and changes in the way in which they are organized, but it also includes changes in the structure, organization and culture of the entire society. This process is a long historical process that accompanies the primary stage of socialism in China, and cannot be accomplished overnight. However, in the context of the increasingly prominent contradictions in the dual economic structure of urban and rural areas, we must be fully familiar with the necessity and urgency of accelerating reforms, and lose no time in pushing forward reforms in important and key areas. The realization of urban-rural economic integration is a long-term historical process accompanying China's modernization and a complex socio-economic process constantly adapting to the requirements of the process of economic and social development, and we must be fully familiar with the long-term, arduous and complex nature of this process and with the contradictions and difficulties it faces. It should be recognized that the traditional dual economic pattern of urban and rural areas in China has changed markedly, and that the situation of urban-rural market segmentation has improved considerably. However, we should also see that the key institutional factors of the urban-rural dual economic structure, such as the unification of the urban and rural factor markets, the reform of the rural land acquisition and occupation system, and the construction of the social security system, are still lagging behind, and that some deep-rooted problems have not yet achieved breakthroughs, and there is still a long way to go. This should be fully estimated. We should combine gradual progress with key breakthroughs, and make breakthroughs in important links without losing time according to the degree of maturity of the conditions; according to the level of economic development of each region, we should make breakthroughs in localized areas first, and drive the overall advancement of the country. 5. The establishment and improvement of institutions and mechanisms conducive to urban-rural integration means taking institutional and policy innovation as a breakthrough, reforming systems that are not adapted to the requirements of the socialist market economic system and are not conducive to the integration of urban and rural economies, fundamentally eliminating the institutional and policy obstacles that impede the integration of urban and rural areas, and prompting the transformation of urban and rural economic systems in the direction of continually adapting to the intrinsic requirements of perfecting the socialist market economic system, so as to create good institutional conditions for promoting the transformation of the urban-rural dualistic economic structure into a modern unitary economic and social structure. Deepening the reform of household registration Deepening the reform of the household registration system, and gradually unifying the urban and rural labor markets. In areas where conditions are favorable, the difference between urban and rural household registration will be abolished, agricultural household registration will be abolished, and a new household registration system will be implemented on the basis of a legal fixed residence or a stable occupation. After obtaining urban household registration, farmers will have the same obligations and enjoy the same rights as former urban residents. Various urban consumption subsidies and city-specific social benefits will be gradually abolished, while investment in public **** facilities and public **** services in rural areas will be gradually increased, and the welfare level of rural residents will be raised substantially. The "land for social security" policy promotes the reform of the rural land acquisition and occupation system and the implementation of the "land for social security" policy. In reforming the land acquisition and occupation system, a strict distinction should be made between land for public welfare and land for business purposes; for land for public welfare, compensation standards should be raised, and the distribution of land appreciation gains between the state and farmers should be reasonably adjusted; for land for business purposes, market mechanisms should be introduced, and a pilot program of collective land trading should be carried out, so that the market mechanism will determine the price of land occupation. Explore the establishment of a system of sharing land premiums between the central government, provincial governments and sub-provincial governments, and incorporate land premiums into the national and local budgets, so as to reflect the state's right to own land, and to curb the expansionary impulses of local governments and their sloppy use of land resources. Explore the possibility of levying land transfer premiums on an annual basis to avoid local governments' quick success and quick profit, and to promote the sustainable development and utilization of local land resources. The policy of "land-for-social-security" has been realized through the decolonization of agricultural land, with a certain percentage of the proceeds from the conversion of agricultural land to non-agricultural land being set aside for the social security of peasants who have lost their land. Reform of the tax and fee system: accelerating the reform of the rural tax and fee system, and gradually unifying the urban and rural tax systems. The main countermeasures to unify the urban and rural tax systems are, firstly, to gradually reduce the agricultural tax until it is finally abolished, and farmers will pay personal income tax and value-added tax as urban residents do, so that the resulting shortfalls in local finances will be solved by financial transfers from the center and the provincial level. The second is the gradual establishment and improvement of a rural public ****ancial system; during the transition period, while increasing financial transfers to rural areas at the central, provincial and local levels, fees such as those for township coordination will be gradually reduced and abolished, rural public welfare expenditures and township administrative and governance expenditures will be included in the Government's budget, and inputs for the construction of rural infrastructures and public ****services facilities will be gradually increased. Third, consolidating and improving compulsory education in rural areas based on county co-ordination, gradually implementing provincial and county co-ordination in places with the conditions to do so, and applying different co-ordination ratios in different situations, with the center gradually increasing its investment in compulsory education in rural areas. Fourth, promoting the extension of the minimum subsistence guarantee to rural areas and gradually expanding the coverage of social security in rural areas. In areas where conditions exist, the extension of the minimum subsistence guarantee system to the countryside and the coverage of farmers who have entered the cities are being promoted, with the gradual realization of the integration of urban and rural areas into the minimum subsistence guarantee. Gradually expand the coverage of the social security system in areas with the conditions to first cover farmers who have lost their land in the process of de-farming agricultural land, then cover the rural transfer population who have entered urban employment and are willing to withdraw from their contracted land, and then gradually cover rural areas. Improving farmers' welfare Increase investment in rural infrastructure and public **** facilities to improve farmers' welfare. Strengthen integrated urban-rural planning for transportation, communications, electricity and other infrastructure. Regulate and institutionalize investment in rural public ***** goods, and substantially increase the proportion of new fiscal revenues and equity earnings of the State that are used for investment and social welfare expenditures that are allocated to rural areas. Sixth, the degree of organization of farmers' production and operation should be raised, and their ability to participate in market competition should be strengthened. Encourage farmers to establish new types of economic cooperation organizations, and enhance their ability to obtain market information and participate in market competition. Developing Rural Finance Actively develop rural finance and enliven the rural financial market. In accordance with the principle of marketization, appropriately relax the floating range of interest rates for loans to rural small and medium-sized enterprises and farm households. Promote the diversification of shareholdings in rural credit unions and the opening up of equity formation and flows, and strive to eliminate the urban-rural blockade and division of capital flows. On the premise of strengthening supervision and preventing risks, prudently and actively promote the development and reform and innovation of private finance, and conditionally relax the restrictions and limitations on the development of private finance, so as to promote the development of the rural financial market. Eighth, deepen the reform of the township administrative and governance system, and effectively streamline township organizations and personnel. We will steadily promote the abolition of townships and the merging of townships, appropriately expand the radius of services provided by township governments, and continuously improve the efficiency of affairs. Places with the necessary conditions can pilot the reform of changing township governments into county governments' dispatching organizations, reducing the level of administrative governance, drastically reducing the number of administrative personnel, and lowering the cost of administrative governance.6 Looking forward to solving the urban-rural dichotomy is in fact a very significant problem. The urban-rural dual structure exists all over the world because cities and rural areas, industry and agriculture, are not the same, both in terms of form and in terms of operating mechanisms. So there are dualistic manifestations. The United States has a dual structure problem, and Japan also has a dual structure problem, and it is worthwhile to pay attention to the institutional mechanism under the dual structure. For example, before the reform and opening up, the unequal exchange of industrial and agricultural products, the scissor gap is a problem of institutional mechanism. After the reform and opening up, the unequal exchange of industrial and agricultural products, the scissors problem has been eliminated. However, the problem of institutional mechanisms in factor mobility still exists. For example, in the past few years, when rural migrant workers went to the cities to work, they were unable to receive equal pay for equal work in certain positions, which is a systemic problem. Another example is the loss of farmers' interests in the process of rural land expropriation and occupation, and the phenomenon of local governments and land-use enterprises profiting from it, which is also a problem of the institutional mechanism, and this institutional mechanism should be given sufficient attention. The fundamental solution to such institutional problems is to address them in the spirit of the Seventeenth National Congress by means of urban-rural integration. At present, efforts should be made to achieve equal development between urban and rural workers and peasants in terms of urban and rural planning, industrial layout, infrastructure construction, public **** services, and labor and employment. Of course, the deep-rooted contradictions caused by the urban-rural dual structure cannot be solved in a day or two, and it takes a lot of work and long-term efforts to solve them, starting from the weak links of the urban-rural dual structure, such as solving the problem of equal employment of laborers, then solving the problem of equal supply of urban and rural public **** products, and then solving the problem of fairness of the allocation of factors, such as land and capital, between the urban and rural areas. Fundamentally, resolving the deep-rooted contradictions in the urban-rural structure requires both a deepening of reforms along market-oriented lines and unremitting efforts on the part of the government. There are a large number of institutional arrangements and policy orientations that need to be established and improved step by step.7 Improvement IdeasThe urban-rural interface is a geographical concept with Chinese characteristics, which exists due to the political attribute of Chinese characteristics - the "dual" urban-rural management system. It exists because of the political attribute of Chinese characteristics - urban-rural "dualistic" management system, and the problems involved are much more complicated than those of the general pure urban areas or pure agricultural areas. Therefore, taking the breakthrough of the "dual structure" of urban and rural areas as a breakthrough, in-depth research on the root causes of this area's "disease", and exploring effective ways to solve the region's social problems with the idea of reforming the coordinated development of urban and rural areas will not only help to improve the modernization and management level of Beijing, but also contribute to the future realization of the urbanization of the city. This will not only help to improve the modernization and management level of Beijing, but also serve as an important reference for the future urbanization of the area. The urban-rural interface is a "painful" area where problems remain untreated. (i) Conceptualization of the urban-rural interface in Beijing? Beijing's urban-rural interface has both a broad and a narrow sense: compared to the four pure urban areas of Dongcheng, Xicheng, Chongwen and Xuanwu, the four districts of Chaoyang, Haidian, Fengtai and Shijingshan are the urban-rural interface in the broad sense. But in fact, the area with typical characteristics of mixed urban and rural populations is the ring around the Fourth Ring Road where the boundaries of street offices and township administrative jurisdictions are not clear, i.e., the narrow sense of urban-rural interface area that we are focusing on, which is an area that has evolved rapidly from a predominantly rural suburb into a special space with both urban and rural characteristics as the urban industrial and residential areas continue to spread to the outskirts of the city. (ii) Regional social problems remain untreated for a long time, becoming a meeting place for various conflicts during the period of social transformation. If people drive around some urban-rural areas along the Fourth Ring Road, it is not difficult to find a scene very different from the city's skyscrapers and rural idylls: poor facilities, narrow space, and houses built by private individuals have destroyed the original pattern of village and town planning; garbage and dirt can be found everywhere; the streets and lanes are narrow and uneven; dust flies on windy days; and the streets are narrow and uneven, and the streets are dusty. Uneven; dusty windy days, muddy rainy days, dry toilets smell bad. The deterioration of the environment of the living traces of the wreckage paid fenders returned to the environs of the harmful building so that the region's social security environment "worse": the city's 33 implementation of the high incidence of war area almost all concentrated in the urban-rural areas, drug abuse, drug trafficking, vicious cases repeatedly prohibited (fight) more than; the district's rented accommodation, especially illegal rental housing has become a place to hide dirt and grime. No wonder that some journalists have used the term "rotten edge of the city" to describe the ring zone at the urban-rural interface. As a concomitant of the outward expansion of urban areas, the problem of urban-rural interface has a long history, roughly dating back to the mid-1970s, but at that time the state expropriated a limited amount of agricultural land, the geographical scope of the problem and the degree of impact on the community is relatively small. After the reform and opening up, the speed of urban construction in Beijing has been increasing rapidly, and the amount of land expropriated by the state on the outskirts of the city has grown exponentially. According to statistics, by the end of 2002, only 12,800 hectares of arable land remained in the four districts of Chao, Hai, Feng, and Shi, a reduction of three-quarters of the 52,300 hectares in 1978, the early years of the Reform and Opening-up period, while the political reforms lagged behind the pace of economic development, rendering the "dualistic" social management system incapable of responding to the many problems caused by rapid population movement in this area. The political reforms lagging behind the pace of economic development have made the "dualistic" social management system incapable of dealing with the social problems caused by the rapid population movement in the region. The superimposition and accumulation of economic and social conflicts have made many of these problems difficult to overcome. The urban-rural interface has become a headache for the government, the people are dissatisfied with the "pain" zone.8