Understanding localized and stratified compensation measures of rural land acquisition for the Suzhou south high-speed rail project

Abstract

The lack of nationwide standardized guidelines for land acquisition and compensation in China grants significant discretion to local governments, resulting in highly localized and stratified practices. This dissertation explores the complex temporal evolution of rural land acquisition and compensation in China. It examines the latest compensation structures for the displaced villagers under the Suzhou South High-Speed Rail Project through qualitative interviews, compares localized implementations between two affected villages, and contrasts these practices with previously documented outcomes. The results show that the compensation measures of the studied area balance well short-term cash and housing payments with long-term pension benefits and are appealing to the villagers. Despite that the execution varies significantly across villages, particularly in payout timelines and allocated urban apartments’ quality, over 70% of the surveyed villagers are satisfied with the financial aspect of the compensation, largely due to the local government's lenient appraisal of homestead sizes. However, elderly villagers and women face specific challenges, including emotional loss, discrimination, and cultural barriers within rural customs. The study also supports the view of the reversed value of urban and rural hukou and highlights that migrant households nowadays are in a unique position to potentially benefit from both urban and rural welfare.