By Qin Zhongchun & Li Qing, Research Department of Rural Economy, DRC

Research Report, No.74, 2021 (Total 6139) 2021-3-29

Abstract: China’s rural governance in the next 15 years still faces daunting challenges and prominent problems such as differentiation of rural areas, and problems in rural ethos, social management, public services and governance methods. To improve China’s rural governance policies for the next 15 years, it is necessary to straighten up the relationships between national governance, township governance and villages’ self-governance, improve the rural governance framework, and set up the standards for rural governance. Focus in rural governance needs to be shifted from self-governance by rural residents themselves to priority of the rule of law and establishment of a sound rural governance system for categorized issues at different levels. Structural adjustment needs to be made and long-term investment increased for rural residents, especially those in remote, backward areas, to have start-ups in the market or land jobs while gaining satisfying income. Rural governance and services need to be transformed through technological progress, and management strengthened by establishing a big data network in rural areas. Community-level innovation in practice needs to be combined with the top-level design, in a bid to overhaul governance methods and provide better rural services.

Keywords: rural governance, 2035, prominent problems, policy adjustment