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The Outline Land Law of China

The Academy of Contemporary China and World StudiesUpdated:  July 13, 2022

The Outline Land Law of China

In 1947, as the People's Liberation Army (PLA) turned from defensive to offensive strategy, extensive land reform was carried out in the Liberated Areas, giving the peasants a great incentive to join the revolution and boost their production in support of the War of Liberation.

From July to September 1947, a National Land Conference was held in Xibaipo Village in Pingshan County, Hebei Province, the temporary seat of the CPC Central Committee, which formulated the Outline Land Law of China. This was a program for abolishing the land system of feudal and semi-feudal exploitation and putting into effect the system of "the land to the tillers."

The CPC soon published the guidelines and policies for the reform, that is, to rely on the poor peasants and unite with the middle peasants to abolish the system of feudal exploitation step by step and in a considered program, and develop agricultural production. The reform progressed smoothly. By the autumn of 1948, the feudal relationship of production had been eliminated in the Liberated Areas, to the benefit of 100 million people, principally the peasants who had long suffered oppression and exploitation by their landlords, and who had now achieved political and economic emancipation, thus firing their enthusiasm for work. A large number of young people became PLA soldiers or joined the civilian war service. This contributed to the final victory in the War of Liberation.

The Outline Land Law was the CPC's first program on land system reform following the end of the war against the Japanese aggression. It promoted land reform in the Liberated Areas, and exerted extensive political influence in the KMT-ruled areas.

《中国土地法大纲》

1947年人民解放军由战略防御转入战略进攻的新形势,要求在解放区更加普遍深入地开展土地制度改革,以充分调动广大农民革命和生产的积极性,支援解放战争。1947年7月至9月,中共中央工作委员会在河北省平山县西柏坡村召开全国土地会议,制定了《中国土地法大纲》。这个彻底的反封建的土地革命纲领,明确规定废除封建性及半封建性剥削的土地制度,实行耕者有其田的土地制度。随后,中国共产党又明确了土地改革工作的总路线、总政策,即依靠贫农,团结中农,有步骤地有分别地消灭封建剥削制度,发展农业生产。土地改革运动走上健康发展的轨道,取得巨大成绩。到1948年秋,在1亿人口的地区,封建的生产关系被消灭了,长期遭受地主阶级残酷压迫和剥削的广大农民在政治上经济上翻了身,生产积极性大为高涨,大批青壮年加入人民军队或担负战争勤务,从而保证了人民解放战争的胜利进行。

《中国土地法大纲》是抗日战争胜利后,中国共产党公开颁布的第一个关于土地制度改革的纲领性文件,对解放区的土地改革运动起到了巨大的推动作用,并在当时的国民党统治区产生了广泛的政治影响。

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