"Returning to Farming to Serve as a Public Opinion Coordinator"
"Rural Revitalization Depends on Talent and Resources"
The Chinese government, following its encouragement of young people, has now started to promote rural migration among urban retirees.
Currently, rural areas in China are facing difficulties due to population decline. This is because rural residents leave for cities in search of better jobs, education, and healthcare systems, leaving behind only elderly parents and young children.
According to the Hong Kong South China Morning Post (SCMP) on the 4th, at the end of July, several government departments including the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the Ministry of Education, the Veterans Affairs Office, and the Ministry of Natural Resources jointly signed a notice urging retirees and veterans in public service, education, healthcare, and technical fields to return to their hometowns and settle there to support rural revitalization.
They stated, "Returnees to farming should take on roles such as development consultants, village affairs supervisors, public opinion collectors, and village development advisors," adding, "Rural revitalization depends on talent and resources."
Xi Jinping: "We Must Accelerate the Construction of an Agricultural Power"
Chinese President Xi Jinping emphasized the need to reduce the urban-rural gap through rural modernization. At the Central Rural Work Conference last December, President Xi said, "Fully promoting rural revitalization is an important task in building an agricultural power in the new era," and added, "We must accelerate the construction of an agricultural power relying on the two wheels of science and technology and reform."
The Chinese government has also encouraged young people to move to rural areas. For example, Guangdong Province has planned to send 300,000 college graduates to rural areas by the end of 2025. According to Guangdong's plan announced in February, college graduates will contribute as grassroots cadres, entrepreneurs, or volunteers in rural areas. Following the youth, the Chinese government is now actively encouraging urban retirees to move to rural areas.
"It Will Be Difficult to Attract Retirees to Rural Areas"
However, experts point out that unless the Chinese government reforms the Hukou (household registration) system, such campaigns will be ineffective.
The Hukou system is a uniquely Chinese household registration system maintained for decades to restrict population movement as a strict social and economic control measure. Once a Hukou is obtained in the place of birth, it is difficult to transfer it to another region except in exceptional cases. Having a Hukou is necessary to properly receive social welfare benefits such as local housing, healthcare, and children's education.
When migrating from rural to urban areas, obtaining a local Hukou requires giving up the rural Hukou, and in such cases, one cannot purchase housing or land in their hometown upon returning to farming.
Professor Tao Lan of the Shenzhen campus of the Chinese University of Hong Kong said in an interview with Chinese media Sohu, "If retired returnees cannot buy houses or land in their hometowns, their incentive to return decreases," adding, "Given the poor rural infrastructure and healthcare and pension services that are inferior to those in cities, it will be difficult to attract retirees to rural areas."
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