The Fifth Session of the "21st Century Marxism Grand Lecture" Successfully Held: Director Chen Xiwen Discusses "Agricultural Modernization with Chinese Socialist Characteristics"
On April 27, 2022, the fifth session of the "21st Century Marxism Grand Lecture Hall," hosted by the Division of Marxist Studies of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) and organized by the Institute of Marxism Studies, was held. Chen Xiwen—a member of the Standing Committee of the 13th National People's Congress and Chairman of the Agriculture and Rural Affairs Committee—was invited to deliver a lecture titled "Socialist Agricultural Modernization with Chinese Characteristics." Xin Xiangyang, Secretary of the Party Committee of the Institute of Marxism Studies, presided over the event.
Director Chen Xiwen provided an in-depth explanation focusing on two main aspects: the fundamental connotations and the institutional basis of socialist agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics.
Regarding the concept and fundamental connotations of socialist agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics, Chen Xiwen pointed out that to understand this concept, one must grasp three keywords: agricultural modernization, Chinese characteristics, and the road. First, agricultural modernization, or modern agriculture, is described in contrast to traditional agriculture; it is a description of the current state of agriculture within the context of industrialization. Modern agriculture is an industry characterized by the continuous refinement of the social division of labor, the ongoing innovation of agricultural production and management organizations, increasing state support and protection, the continuous updating of agricultural facilities, and the steady extension of industry and value chains. Unlike traditional agriculture, modern agriculture benefits from scientific and technological progress, with the contribution rate of such progress continuously rising. Additionally, several social and institutional factors influence the process of agricultural modernization, which is closely linked to specific stages of economic and social development. Second, differences in resource endowments—such as land, resources, and population—as well as historical traditions and stages of development, determine the "Chinese characteristics" of agricultural modernization. Both historical and contemporary realities, characterized by a "large population and limited arable land" [1] and a high proportion of agricultural population, dictate that we must pursue a unique road of agricultural modernization to succeed. Judging from the social attributes and institutional prescriptions of agricultural modernization, the fundamental premise of socialism with Chinese characteristics and the features of Chinese-path modernization—dictated by our social nature and social system—require us to follow the road of socialist agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. While China's agricultural modernization needs to draw on the experiences of other countries, it cannot simply copy them. Third, the "road" prescribes the direction and approach of agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. This process cannot be achieved overnight [2]; it requires holistic planning and overall consideration to coordinate agricultural development with the common prosperity of the peasantry, while simultaneously attending to food security, ecological and environmental protection, and the inheritance of fine traditional Chinese culture. In practice, one must avoid a "one-size-fits-all" [3] approach, promoting progress according to local conditions [4], with various regions exploring specific forms of implementation based on their realities.
Chen Xiwen emphasized that understanding socialist agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics also requires a deep comprehension of the four basic systems in China's rural areas: the land system, the organizational system, the management system, and the social governance system. First, regarding the collective ownership of rural land, he pointed out that China implements state ownership and collective ownership by farmers; private land ownership does not exist. Adhering to the collective ownership of rural land is of great significance for maintaining China's basic economic system, in which public ownership plays the dominant role. Rural land collective ownership is not an abstract concept but a basic system manifested in specific individual villages, with very clear ownership boundaries. Adhering to this system both respects history and honors the collective ownership rights of farmers, guaranteeing equal rights for every member within the collective economic organization. Second, regarding the rural collective economic organizational system: due to historical progression, some Villagers' Committees [5] and villagers' groups exercise ownership rights and issue land contracts. While Villagers' Committees and groups may perform functions on behalf of rural collective economic organizations, they cannot completely replace them. "Rural collective economic organization" has a specific meaning here: collective assets are indivisible, which is fundamentally different from a co-ownership economy based on private property. In reforming the rural collective property rights system and establishing joint-stock cooperatives, the "shares" represent the right of each member of the collective economic organization to a distribution of returns. The so-called "confirming rights to shares and individuals" [6] refers specifically to this right of return distribution. Furthermore, the transfer of these "shares" within the collective economic organization is strictly limited. Third, the two-tier management system [7], which combines unified and decentralized management based on the household contract responsibility system, is the basic rural management system in China. This system does not change the collective ownership of rural land; rather, it has found an effective form for realizing such ownership and has granted rural households fuller autonomy. Additionally, only members of the collective economic organization are eligible to contract land. The basic rural management system is the policy cornerstone for our Party in the countryside and must be unswervingly maintained. Adhering to this system requires grasping three major principles: first, respecting the will of the farmers; second, properly managing the degree of land transfer and scale management, avoiding "scaling up for the sake of scaling up"; and third, not neglecting ordinary smallholder households. He emphasized that rural land collective ownership, rural collective economic organizations, and the basic rural management system form a "trinity" [8] that guarantees the three basic rights of farmers: the right of every collective member to contract land, to hold a residential land base [9], and to participate in the distribution of collective operating income. These three basic systems and the three basic rights of farmers are an integrated whole.
Chen Xiwen also discussed several problems existing in the process of China's rural reform and development, such as the lagging development of agriculture and rural areas; the practical and institutional difficulties faced by the transfer of the agricultural population and the "urbanization" of farmers [10] regarding housing, social security, and the education of accompanying children; the insufficient role of farmers as the primary subjects of development; and the lack of clarity in institutional norms.
Finally, Chen Xiwen introduced the progress and expectations regarding legislation for rural collective economic organizations.
In his summary, Secretary Xin Xiangyang spoke highly of the lecture, noting its high quality, brilliant content, rich connotations, and its combination of theoretical depth with practical significance. He remarked that Director Chen's explanation was profound yet simple [11], demonstrating a thorough understanding of the road of socialist agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics. Director Chen's research on the fundamental connotations and characteristics of this road, and his analysis of the four basic rural systems, showcased the historical continuity, institutional innovation, and powerful vitality of socialist agricultural modernization with Chinese characteristics, while also allowing us to understand the complexity and arduousness of this path. Xin Xiangyang emphasized that the Institute of Marxism Studies has always attached importance to the study of major theoretical and practical issues, encouraging researchers to commit to the integrated development of basic theoretical research and applied policy research. Many issues mentioned by Director Chen—such as the basic rural system, agricultural and rural modernization, and common prosperity for farmers—are also major theoretical and practical issues that scholars at the Institute of Marxism Studies need to research deeply.
The lecture strictly implemented all requirements for pandemic prevention and control. Gong Yun, Vice President of the Institute of Marxism Studies, and several researchers attended the lecture in person.