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III-IV On Interpreting the Three Agricultures
Third, on what rural areas really need.
Rural areas don't lack money, human resources, or markets. Many people probably don't accept these opinions.
Let us first tackle the money problem. First, in only Hebei Province, rural savings reached some 200 billion (yuan) last year. The province has about 50 thousand villages, which makes it roughly 4 million per village. If these 4 million yuan return to the villages, each village can build some companies. It's a pity that the money doesn't actually return. It's thrown into constructing those "window" cities that provide our country with "face". Second, what is money? Money is a marker of labor. Labor should convert into money. If we utilize all the labor in rural areas and give everyone a fitting job, be it farming, steaming buns, raising livestock, or weaving clothes, then everyone will be happy. Unfortunately, our current situation is: one person works while eight people lay around in the sun, something like what North Korea has right now. Of course, some people migrate to cities and find some work there, but a great deal of labor is lying around idle. This is why I say rural China doesn't lack money.
Nor does rural China lack human resources, or even skilled labor. On the contrary, our rural areas actually overflow with skilled labor. Take, for example, our middle school graduates who have completed nine years of public education. Their ability to imitate and copy is very strong. In my plants and factories, the majority of workers have graduated from middle school, and they are faring quite well. Even the supply of college graduates has increased. I once tried to draft 30 teachers from the Shi Jia Zhuang human resource market, and received some 600 applications. Therefore, I don't think rural areas lack human resource.
We don't even lack market. What is market? Demand is market! Farmers want to live in expensive hotels too, but they need money, and only market can provide them with that. Yet they are restricted from working. A large surplus of production is the common problem of all societies nowadays. Production is easy while consumption is hard. We should free rural labor and provide them with a market. If everyone has a job in the rural areas, we can maintain a 15% GDP increase every year for 10 years.
Fourth, I suggest that our country passes a "Temporary Rural Law".
This article of mine was published, with modifications, on the Inner Digest of Reform. My intent was to give farmers a protective law. Now that all the bureaus have laws, can we at least provide farmers with a law to fend away all these various bureau laws and allow them farmers) some space to work? We all have witnessed the success of our official "development areas", yet that success is precisely because the areas are protected by law. Bureau laws have no effect in those areas. Why not do the same for our one billion farmers? If all attempts to resist this temporary law are thwarted, if we scrap all the "organized purchase and selling of grain", the "licenses to engage in industrial and commercial activities", and the "land regulations", then our one billion farmers will be one billion basic legal units. We should allow them to take responsibility for their own actions, and we should trust them. If they cause problems, there is a law above. This way, farmers can choose their professions and work freely. Rural China will become full of hope.
Sun Dawu 孙大午
Last Modified December 17, 2005
孙大午 孙大午 sundawu sun dawu,2005,Peking University,China Agriculture University,孙大午
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