Seminar on Property Right Governance System of Natural Resources Held

On the afternoon of January 24, the “Seminar on Property Right Governance System of Natural Resources” was held by RUC NADS and the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development at RUC. Liu Jinlong, researcher at NADS and professor at the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development, presided over the seminar. Attendees included leaders, experts and scholars from such relevant departments as NDRC, SFA, CAS and CAF. Prof. Shen Dajun from the School of Environment & Natural Resources of RUC and some teachers and students from the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development also attended the seminar. Attendees had some passionate and in-depth academic exchanges on existing key issues in China’s property right governance system construction for natural resources.

The 3rd Plenary Session of 18th CPC Central Committee presented the overall reform objective of “advancing modern state governance system and capacity” and adopted the Decision of the CCCPC on Some Major Issues Concerning Comprehensively Deepening the Reform, which proposed to quicken the system construction of ecological civilization, defined the composition, reform direction and major tasks of ecological civilization institutional system, and pointed out that the system construction of ecological civilization lies with sound assets and property right system and utilization regulation system for natural resources. Entrusted by SFA, research project team of the School of Agricultural Economics and Rural Development has conducted preliminary study on property right governance system of natural resources. Prof. Liu Jinlong introduced the project team’s research findings in the governance system situation of forests, wetlands, deserts and biodiversity, problems and theoretical logic, and domestic and overseas experience.

Experts and scholars attending the seminar delivered speeches regarding property right governance system construction for natural resources. Dong Suocheng, Director of the Resources Economy branch of the Natural Resources Society of the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of CAS, pointed out that, to construct property right system for natural resources, the first thing is to define the boundary and ownership of natural resources and ecosystem; the second thing is to realize benefit distribution fairly and efficiently; and the third one is to achieve sustainability of resources. Wang Huanliang, Director of SFA Economic Development Research Center, pointed out that general property right theories are common general knowledge and that property right in China lies in control right. The top task is to set test standard for property right system. Director Xu Qing from SFA Management Center for Combating Desertification believes the construction of property right system should be based on actual regional problems and actual conditions. Song Changqing, division chief of NDRC, raised research questions from the angle of governance demands and expressed confusions in real work. Song pointed out that property right governance system construction for natural resources should aim to allow natural resources to effectively realize their value and form effective binding force on the behavioral agent. Chen Jiawen, head of the planning office of SFA, stated the entrusting party’s further requirements on research and believes the focus should be on desertification, wetlands and biodiversity. Wang Futian, head of the wetlands office of SFA, offered research suggestions from the angle of wetlands ecosystem and believes the construction of property right system should undergo progressive reform mode. Chen Shaozhi, Director of CAF Research Institute of Forestry Policy and Information, believes registration of property right is not about defining all geographical spaces. It should stick closely to the main line of property right trading and change.

Experts and scholars attending the seminar agree that the construction of China’s property right governance system for natural resources is of profound significance and that property right system is the basis for all natural resource systems. Attendees defined the property right governance system for natural resources from different angles and offered some effective insights.

(By Center for Research on Energy and Resource Strategies, NADS)