Li Shichang (C), a villager from Doushi Village at Jiangjin District, Chongqing Municipality speaks at a grassroots consultation conversation.

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Consultation has played an increasingly important role in rural social development in recent years as China continues to refine its grassroots self-governance system and make progress in information technology and new forms of urbanization.

Rural consultative governance aims to resolve practical problems in rural regions through reforming the governance mechanism. Yuan Fangcheng, a professor of politics from Central China Normal University, said rural consultation focuses on such practical and urgent issues as increasing farmers’ incomes while developing the countryside and agriculture.

Specific policies should be made to diversify the providers of agricultural services, build a qualified team for spreading agricultural technologies, expand the diverse and multi-dimensional channels for agricultural financing and protect the rural biological environment, Yuan suggested.

The consultative governance system provides a platform for farmers to voluntarily propose creative suggestions for development, Yuan said. The farmers are entitled and willing to express their opinions once they are provided with channels, and their participation in governance will also reduce resistance to government policies, he said.

Rural consultation requires communication, focused planning and the joint efforts of multiple interest groups. Dong Aijiang, deputy dean of the School of Political Science and Public Management of Shanxi University, said the major participants in consultation include villagers, village committees, enterprises and local governments. Consultation is not only popular among villagers but also resolves disputes at low cost, Dong said.
 

 

Yuan suggested the inclusion of young personnel in consultation, fostering public awareness and collective consciousness, and transforming the villagers from bystanders to participants. More opportunity may also be offered for old Party members, cadres, teachers, veterans and model workers in rural areas to play a greater role in rural governance, he said.

Improving rural governance through traditional forces is also a key point. Clans have traditionally been a major power in the rural areas of China. Yuan cited a practical case in which a village committee made up of mostly clan members was transformed into a platform for developing and governing a village, mediating disputes, safeguarding villagers’ rights and providing scientific services.

Rural grassroots governance through consultation requires institutional arrangements. Yuan suggested making detailed mechanisms and plans of village consultation in terms of the content, participants and process based on government laws and policies. At the same time, nonofficial practices and local knowledge should be explored, imposing soft constraints on the participants, he said.

New communication technologies, such as WeChat and QQ, are widely used by villagers, and Internet technology may play a significant role in building consensus and promoting active participation in governance, Yuan said.

Chen Tan, dean of the Public Administration School at Guangzhou University, said rural consultative governance is not only the redistribution of interest but also good governance through measures adapted to local conditions. Rural consultation should be more adequate, inclusive and practical, and farmers should play a major role in it, Chen said.