Recently, illegal land acquisition cases have repeatedly surfaced, prompting the Ministry of Land and Resources to launch a "strong crackdown" to address the issue.

  Yesterday (August 20), according to a reporter from the *Daily Economic News*, the National Land Inspection Office under the Ministry of Natural Resources recently issued a notice instructing its nine land inspection bureaus stationed locally to immediately conduct on-site investigations into issues that infringe upon the legitimate rights and interests of farmers during current land acquisition projects.

  Analysts say that land compensation and standardized land acquisition practices are crucial components in safeguarding farmers' rights and ensuring the quality of urbanization. Not only must post-acquisition oversight keep pace, but institutional frameworks also need to be refined to align with the current stage and level of economic development.

  Focus on inspecting and addressing illegal land acquisition and relocation.

  According to a reporter from the *Daily Economic News*, this year the State Land Supervision Bureau in Shenyang conducted routine inspections in Liaoyang City and Tieling City in Liaoning Province, as well as Songyuan City in Jilin Province, Jixi City and Pulandian City in Dalian, Heilongjiang Province. During these inspections, a total of 2,199 cases involving land-related violations and irregularities were identified. Meanwhile, the routine inspection reports have already been sent to the respective provinces, and corrective actions have now been initiated.

  Li Guoxiang, a researcher at the Institute of Rural Development of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, stated that farmers' land rights are legally granted, entitling them to both the use and transfer of their land. He emphasized that if farmers' land is to be requisitioned, it must first obtain their consent, and their legitimate rights and interests must be fully protected. "In some areas," he added, "after farmers' land has been taken for development projects, compensation standards have been either too low—or in some cases, farmers haven't even received any compensation at all. As a result, many families who have lost their land have faced serious challenges, including difficulties in maintaining their livelihoods."

  According to a recent notice issued by the National Land Supervision Office to the nine locally-based National Land Supervision Bureaus, the inspection will focus on addressing issues that have already been verified this year—specifically, unauthorized and illegal land acquisitions, failure to provide land compensation according to prescribed standards, unpaid land compensation and resettlement funds owed to farmers whose land was requisitioned, and inadequate implementation of social security measures for these farmers.

  A relevant official from the Jinan Land Supervision Bureau revealed to a reporter from the Daily Economic News that most land-related violations involve illegal acquisition of agricultural land, often taking various forms—such as "officially leasing but secretly seizing" and delaying payments for land requisition and relocation. "Many local governments are using urbanization as a pretext to broadly expropriate farmers' land for developing industrial parks, resorts, and other projects. This practice is now showing an increasingly alarming trend."

  Local Enhanced Compensation Standards

  As the Ministry of Land and Resources steps up inspections, local governments are also gearing up to further raise compensation standards amid the frequent occurrences of farmland expropriation.

  Li Guoxiang stated that currently, there are 40 to 50 million landless farmers nationwide, and this number continues to grow by 3 million each year. Overall, they differ both from rural farmers and urban residents—possessing weaker employment capabilities, lower social security coverage, and limited prospects for development. He emphasized that the living conditions of these landless farmers deserve urgent attention, adding that governments and developers should avoid treating land acquisition as a "one-time deal" during the process.

  The current land compensation system is established by the Land Management Law, with Article 47 being its most critical provision. The draft amendment to the Land Management Law, submitted to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for review at the end of last year, introduces significant changes to Article 47.

  The draft clarifies the fundamental principle of fair compensation, removing the provisions that previously stipulated compensation based on the original use of the land being expropriated and a cap of 30 times the assessed value. It now mandates that when land collectively owned by farmers is acquired, fair compensation must be provided, ensuring that the livelihoods of affected farmers are improved and their long-term economic security is safeguarded, while also protecting their legitimate rights and interests.

  Meanwhile, local authorities are taking proactive steps: Songzi City in Hubei Province has preliminarily established a comprehensive support system that ensures "secure livelihoods, adequate housing arrangements, and viable employment opportunities," safeguarding the legitimate rights and interests of farmers whose land has been requisitioned.

  Jilin Provincial Department of Land and Resources is also strictly implementing the new unified annual output value standard for land acquisition and the comprehensive regional land prices, gradually raising compensation standards for collectively owned land, and ensuring that land acquisition compensation remains consistent across different areas.

  A relevant official from the Jinan Land Supervision Bureau told a reporter from the Daily Economic News that the most fundamental principles for farmland requisitioning are to safeguard the 1.8-billion-mu arable land red line and ensure that farmers' interests are fully protected. The key solution lies in raising compensation standards and establishing an effective land acquisition mechanism—rather than relying on measures such as inspections, fines, or recovery of funds.

　　 The Ministry of Land and Resources inspects illegal land requisition and relocation practices, highlighting the need to strengthen compensation regulations.
　　 http://news.dichan.sina.com.cn/2013/08/21/841055.html