A Study of the Arbitration to the Rural Land Contract Disputes in China

중국 농지임대차분쟁의 중재에 관한 고찰

The Law of the People's Republic of China on the Mediation and Arbitration of Rural Land Contract Disputes, which was adopted at the 9th session of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China on June 27, 2009, is hereby promulgated and shall come into force as of January 1, 2010. This Law is enacted with a view to impartially and timely settling the disputes over contracted management of rural land, maintaining the legitimate rights and interests of the parties concerned and promoting the rural economic development and social stability. The mediation and arbitration of disputes over contracted management of rural land shall be governed by this Law. The disputes over the contracted management of rural land include: 1) disputes arising from the conclusion, fulfillment, modification, cancellation and termination of rural land contracts; 2) disputes arising from the sub-contract, lease, interchange, transfer, holding of shares and other means of turnover of contracted management rights to rural land ; 3) disputes arising from the withdrawal and adjustment of the contracted land; 4) disputes arising from the confirmation of contracted management rights to rural land; 5) disputes arising from impairment to the contracted management rights to rural land; and 6) other disputes over contracted management of rural land as prescribed in law and regulations. The disputes arising from requisition of collectively owned land and the compensations therefor do not fall within the scope of acceptance by the rural land contract arbitration commission, they may be settled by means of administrative reconsideration or lawsuits. In the case of disputes over the contracted management of rural land, the parties may make reconciliation by themselves or may request mediation by the villagers' committee, people's government of the township (town), etc. This study analyzed each process and the main issues on the point of the Mediation and Arbitration of Rural Land Contract Disputes.