title: Rural Restructuring Through Top-Down Rural Programmes In China: Mechanisms, Actors And Responses
Creators: name: Liu, Mengchuan
Publisher: name: University of Liverpool Repository
Year: 2027

description: Rural issues and conflicts in China peaked at the beginning of the twenty-first century, forcing the Chinese government to prioritise rural development and the interests of rural inhabitants. Since 2003, implementing various rural programmes under central fiscal transfers has become the main approach with which for the Chinese government to address rural issues and promote rural socio-economic development. In 2018, such action was packaged into the “National Rural Revitalisation Strategy”, becoming one of the most important national strategies and political slogans in China. Subsidising rural programmes has led to structural transformations in many rural areas of China with regard to governance, society and economy. However, there is a lack of systematic research on the relationships between rural programmes and rural restructuring within the Chinese context. In addition, rural programmes since the launch of the 2018 national rural revitalisation strategy have undergone a series of transformations similar to Western neo-endogenous rural development theory. However, Western theories fall short in fully explaining China’s recent rural development practices and often neglect the pivotal role of the state. The rise of state entrepreneurialism in rural governance in China appears to offer a more convincing theoretical explanation.

This research aimed to explore and explain the motivations and mechanisms behind the implementation of rural programmes and their impacts on rural institutional, spatial, social and economic restructuring in China. In order to achieve this research aim, qualitative research and a case study approach were employed, with data collection methods comprising documents, archival records, semi-structured interviews and direct observations. This research examined the implementation process and impacts of a specific rural programme (CIC or “Characteristic Idyllic Countryside”) in Jiangsu Province and Linghu Village (Suzhou, Jiangsu). Jiangsu Province and Linghu Village represented the local and grassroots levels of implementing rural programmes, focusing on central-local interactions and grassroots participation respectively.

This study employed the theoretical perspective of state entrepreneurialism to explain the motivations, processes, and impacts of the implementation of rural programmes in China. This research found that rural development in China is increasingly shaped by evolving state politics. The combination of “planning centrality” and “market instruments” is also evident in China’s rural development. The rural revitalisation strategy, as the latest national political mandate in rural affairs, has significantly affected the design of rural programmes. The implementation of rural programmes in China goes beyond purely economic pursuits, encompassing political considerations for the consolidation of state power. Local governments and officials implement rural programmes to align with central directives and planning, as compliance with central mandates has become an important indicator for the promotion of local officials. Local governments also strive to maximise their own interests within the vague central policy framework, reflecting the complexity of central-local relations in China. The implementation of rural programmes promotes informal and innovative market instruments, and these market-based tools strengthen, rather than weaken, the power of the state.

In general, rural programmes have played a crucial role in rural poverty reduction, economic diversification and infrastructure improvement. “Rural Revitalisation” is no longer simply a political slogan in China. Through rural programmes and increased central fiscal transfers, the Chinese government’s ability to govern rural areas has been markedly enhanced. However, unexpected results have emerged due to the shortcomings of China’s programme system. These rural programmes, initially designed to mitigate urban-rural and regional disparities, have inadvertently exacerbated regional development imbalances. Influenced by state entrepreneurialism, rural programmes are often implemented regardless of economic costs. Despite the emphasis on “sustainability”, sustainable rural development has emerged as an issue within China’s programme system. Moreover, while rural autonomy has been ostensibly promoted through the implementation of rural programmes, grassroots participation remains significantly constrained in China. Finally, this research provides policy recommendations for China’s future rural development under the programme system.