Collective economic projects in villages embody democracy in rural China

Editor's Note:

China's national "two sessions," the annual meetings of China's top legislature, the National People's Congress (NPC), and the top political advisory body, the National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), are set to convene in Beijing this week. As a key political event shaping the country's policy direction, the upcoming annual sessions provide a prime opportunity for observers to gain a unique vantage point to witness the country's democracy in action.

Democracy is a common value for all humanity and an important principle that the Communist Party of China (CPC) and the Chinese people steadfastly uphold. In a country with about one-fifth of the world's population, people are actively participating in democratic practices, ranging from state legislation to local matters.

In China, scenarios of democracy manifest in diverse ways. However, some Western media outlets have misunderstood Chinese democracy, by making absurd claims while disregarding facts. For example, some have said that only "one person, one vote" constitutes democracy, while some have accused Chinese democracy of lacking freedom of speech and being low in participation.

But is this really the case? To dispel this misinformation or disinformation by some Western media outlets with ulterior motives, the Global Times is launching a series of stories to share with international readers what Chinese democracy is and why such claims are wrong. This is the first installment.

When village officials approached He Zhigang's home and inquired whether he would consider renting out a 1-mu plot of land (666.7 square meters) right in front of his house, he barely paused before nodding in agreement.

At the time, Shiying village in East China's Zhejiang Province was developing rural tourism. To attract more visitors, the village officials and local collective economic organizations planned to rent some of the empty spaces in front of villagers' homes to use as parking lots for tourists. They went door to door to seek opinions, and offered willing villagers an annual rent of 1,200 yuan ($165) per mu.

"They really respected our opinions and didn't force anyone to make a decision," He recalled.

In many villages like Shiying across China, the rural collective economy drives collective development through the integrated use of village members' resources, democratic management, cooperative operations, and equitable distribution. This mechanism vividly illustrates China's people-centered democracy.

However, some Western media outlets have questioned whether China's democracy is real as they limit the definition of democracy to "one person, one vote." To refute this simple definition by such media outlets, the prosperous fruits yielded from the collective economy in rural China can serve as a strong testimony, demonstrating that democracy is not what is narrowly defined as "one man, one vote," but a whole system of political structures to ensure the people's status as the true masters of their own affairs and the ultimate beneficiaries of development.

"Democracy primarily addresses how public opinion is realized in a country's political process. In this sense, democracy is not an ornament or mere decoration; it is meant to address the issues that people need to resolve. This is one of the significant characteristics that make our whole-process people's democracy the most genuine," said Sang Yucheng, a professor at the School of International Relations, Fudan University.

Strong sense of belonging

Shiying village, nestled among lush mountains and clear waters, boasts stunning natural beauty and is an ideal location for eco-tourism. It is home to over 1,600 residents.

He Liyan was elected as Shiying village's Party chief in 2021. She and the other village officials all believed that, for the relatively underdeveloped village of Shiying, making full use of its natural resources to develop rural tourism was the best way to generate income. The collective economy, which gathers the resources of everyone in the village and utilizes them by the unified planning of the whole village, was the most suitable approach for the local development of tourism. Therefore, that year, they decided to start collective economic projects in tourism, such as constructing water parks and sites for rafting and off-road vehicles.

A village's collective economy concerns all residents, and decisions cannot be made by someone alone. In the following months, He Liyan and her colleagues visited the homes of all villagers to gather opinions and held several meetings to collect thoughts on developing local tourism.

Villager He Zhigang recalled that, at the time, officials of Shiying village regularly visited his home to explain development plans and seek his feedback.

"They explained to me in detail what had been done, and what was planned next," He Zhigang told the Global Times.

Sometimes, He Liyan encountered villagers, especially seniors, who held different opinions. She gave an example of a time when the village needed to acquire land from some residents for road construction. "For those who were unhappy with it, my colleagues and I would carefully explain the benefits that the road would bring to them and the entire village, as well as the direct compensation they would receive from the land acquisition," she said, stressing that the road construction would not begin without obtaining everyone's consent. The road is currently under construction after receiving all necessary approvals.

Now Shiying's tourism is growing fast after years of development and construction. In 2024, the village's collective economic operating income reached 6.78 million yuan, a double-digit growth from a decade ago.

In addition to getting dividends, villagers can earn rental income and voluntarily apply for paid jobs under the village's collective economic projects, ranging from cleaning to project management.

He Zhigang now works at one of the village's collective economic projects named "Dream Land," a tourism complex that contains an amusement park, camping sites, and guesthouses.

"I feel a strong sense of belonging and ownership, as I also own a part of this 'Dream Land,'" he told the Global Times. "So does everyone in our village."

Transparent, accessible to all villagers

Villagers of Danitang in Central China's Hunan Province read documents explaining policies on the village's collective economic projects. (Photo/Courtesy of Xie Jiarong)

Danitang village, literally meaning "a village of big mud pits," is a small agricultural village in Central China's Hunan Province. When Xie Jiarong became the Party chief of the village in 2020, Danitang had almost no collective economic projects. At the time, local villagers either sought employment outside the village or stayed to cultivate their small plots of land, with an income that was far from ideal.

Xie, who had spent 10 years working in rural planning before becoming the village's Party chief, decided to harness the wisdom of the collective economy to manage the village's agricultural resources more effectively.

"We encouraged villagers to lease their previously scattered or even idle farmland to the village collective economic organization, establishing a dedicated project to uniformly cultivate rice and rapeseed, with the harvested crops being sold collectively to partner enterprises," Xie explained.

This ambitious plan began in 2021. The very first step, as Xie noted, was to rent farmland from the villagers. This was a democratic process, where everyone's opinions were carefully considered.

"We organized numerous information-sharing sessions, and called those working away from home to explain the concept of collective economy to every villager, assuring them that this project would bring tangible benefits," Xie told the Global Times.

Villager Zhu Xueping was cheerful about this project. Prior to that, Zhu, in his 60s, was no longer able to engage in high-intensity farming. He had to lease his farmland to other individuals, which not only yielded no rental income but also required him to pay a "land maintenance fee" to the lessees.

"Since I leased my land to the village collective economic project for 260 yuan per mu, I can earn nearly 2,000 yuan a year without doing anything. This is great," Zhu told the Global Times.

Nonetheless, some villagers preferred to farm their own land. Xie did not refuse their request. "With their permission, we designated an area nearly equal in size to their original farmland for them to cultivate independently," Xie said. "In this way, we could ensure large-scale mechanized farming for our village collective economic project, while also meeting the needs of the villagers who wish to farm on their own."

In his opinion, village collective economic projects should be developed in a democratic, open, and considerate manner, benefiting all villagers.

Through joint efforts, the collective economic income of Danitang village reached 900,000 yuan in 2023. A small portion of this money was used to pay rent for the villagers' farmland and agricultural machinery, as well as wages for villagers working on the project. Another significant portion was allocated to further improve local agricultural irrigation facilities. "Throughout this process, every financial record and plan was completely open, transparent, and accessible to all villagers," Xie said.

A broad consensus

It is important to note that China's democratic system has both a complete institutional procedure and extensive participatory practices, Sang told the Global Times.

According to Sang, the concept of whole-process people's democracy has gradually formed a broad consensus in China, and efforts are being made to promote its practical and effective application at all levels, and the rural collective economy is one representative.

A law to promote the development of rural collective economic organizations and safeguard the interests of farmers will take effect in China on May 1, 2025. According to the law, the government will support the development of these organizations through fiscal, tax, financial, land, talent, and industrial policies, to strengthen the new rural collective economy, Xinhua reported.

"China's democratic system is not static. Continuous innovations in the forms and channels of democracy have broadened participation. The practice of democracy has become an integral part of daily life and work. This is a source of the strong vitality of Chinese democracy," read a Xinhua article.

The principles of the so-called one person, one vote and party competition underlying the Western electoral system have often been touted as the sole criterion for democracy, despite the fact that a few powerful interest groups often control the political system, and money plays a pivotal role in Western politics, according to the Xinhua article.

Xie also refuted claims by some Western media outlets that "only Western-style electoral politics represent democracy." This grassroots Party chief, who was elected by the local villagers, believes that democracy is reflected in all aspects of rural life in China, and the village collective economy is a vivid embodiment of this.

"I spend every day with the villagers, and we fully trust and respect each other," Xie told the Global Times.