A renowned Chinese strategist has proposed that China should
establish five state compensation systems, which, if well
implemented, will help ensure the completion of the drive to build
a harmonious society.
Niu Wenyuan, a leading expert on China's sustainable development
and a member of the 10th National Committee of the Chinese People's
Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), told Xinhua on Thursday
that farmers should receive "reasonable" compensation for their
land taken away for various purposes.
Niu, who is also a member of the standing committee of China
Zhigong (Public Interest) Party, one of the eight democratic
parties in China, has long been dedicated to the study of China's
sustainable development.
Statistics show that 65 percent of the incidents involving mass
participation over the past three years are related to land
requisition and tearing down of houses.
As for the compensation system among industries, Niu suggested
that the secondary and tertiary industries give compensation to the
primary industry or agriculture.
For instance, the secondary and the tertiary industries can give
"reasonable" compensation to the agricultural sector according to
the number of people it feeds, he said.
Niu said efforts should be made to establish a social
compensation mechanism, as the nation's foremost task for the time
being is to build a social security system embracing all walks of
life and sectors, the minimum standard of living for urban
residents and the basic social security system for the urban poor,
laid-off workers from the state-owned enterprises and people living
in the Three-Gorge reservoir area.
Finally, both the central and local governments should join
hands in establishing a natural disaster compensation
foundation.
The CPPCC is a significant component of the country's governance
structure. The provincial plenary sessions and the annual national
session of the CPPCC are crucial forums for the elite from various
sectors as well as non-Communist parties and people without party
affiliation, allowing them to make significant contributions to
China's political affairs.
(Xinhua News Agency March 3, 2006)