Recent reports about villagers being forced off their land into designated apartments has stirred up anger among the public. According to Chen Xiwen, deputy director of the Central Rural Work Leading Group, demolition and mergers of villages is occurring on a scale "unprecedented" in peacetime as urban construction rolls on. In some areas, land deal profits are stolen by those with power, flouting villagers' interests.

China has always been an agricultural country. Mencius viewed the misuse of land as a very serious crime. He believed that a reasonable division of land was a sign of good governance, essential for social harmony.

In some areas, farmers have been shortchanged. Villagers who lost their houses received compensation or an apartment for their demolished house but nothing for the land.

Farmland is as essential to villagers as their homesteads. Some local governments and developers have clearly infringed villagers' land ownership rights. Those rights should be better protected by law.

Urbanization is an ongoing trend in China, but villagers must not be pushed willy-nilly into apartments.

One of the goals of urbanization is to ensure villagers have easily accessible markets for their produce. And peace in the countryside is essential to the stability of the country.

Local governments need to take a long, hard look at what has been done in their areas and ensure that they manage the power in their hands in the best interests of the nation.

www.qianlong.com