'Crossing the river by feeling the stones': rural development in China

摘要

1 - the genesis and unfolding of rural development policies in China: 1.1 - The era of planned economy (1953-1978): When the new state of China was founded, rural policy was exclusively focused on agricultural production, in response to the prevailingscarcities. In consequence, support for agricultural production and the construction of irrigation works consumed a relatively high proportion of the total financial support to agriculture (see Table 1). This was the basis for creating a solid foundation for further agricultural growth. From 1953 to 1957, the amount of cultivated farm land increased by 58 million mu and the irrigated area increased by 200 million mu. In 1952, total grain production reached 164 million tons, higher than any previous harvest in Chinese history.