Karita Kan, Hong Kong Polytechnic University

This talk examines how the expansion of land rights reform impacts the political economy and community politics of peri-urban villages in China. Recent policies have facilitated the sale of land management rights from rural households and collectives to commercial operators. This shift from state expropriation to market transfer has transformed the dynamics of land development while diversifying the types of corporate capital involved in land use. Based on research in Guangdong and Jiangsu provinces, I contrast two regimes of accumulation: property-led redevelopment in urban villages, and rural tourism projects spearheaded by agribusinesses and hospitality companies at the fringe of cities. By comparing how residents are incorporated or excluded from decision making, revenue generation and employment opportunities to different degrees, I examine the implications of these new dynamics for local development. I argue that, despite bringing more diversified development opportunities for residents, the reforms also create new inequalities while making bottom-up collective agency less likely.