When originally put forth in 1978, the headline grabber was the fact that China was going to allow foreign investment into this country.  But what was less talked about, but no less important, was the plan to lift the countryside out of endemic poverty.  The dismantling off the communes through Reform and Opening up allowed the farmers here in China to create a living for themselves and created incentive to rear larger, more efficient crops, and as such, help alleviate the food shortages that had plagued China the previous decade.  But just how far has rural reform come?  And what does the future hold when it comes to China's vast countryside? 

Ni hao, you're listening to  People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International.  In this edition of the show we're discussing the past 30 years of rural reform here in China.  So let's get started.

(Music)

First we'll hear from one of China's leading experts on rural reform.  Wang Xiaolu is the Deputy Director of the National Economic Research Institute at the China Reform Foundation.

(Dialogue with Wang)

And after a short break, we'll hear from a foreign expert.

(Promo)

Ni hao, you're listening to People In the Know, your window into the world around you, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International.  I'm Paul James in Beijing.  In this edition of the show we're talking about Reform and Opening Up, and its effects on the rural parts of China.  For more on this we're joined on the line by Mr. Guy Alitto, Associate Professor of History and East Asian Languages and Civilizations at the University of Chicago.

(Dialogue with Alitto)

That's all the time we have for this edition of  People In the Know, online at crienglish.com here on China Radio International.  Though geographically it's the 3rd largest country in the world, China has the largest number of people, and as such, the largest number of mouths to feed.  Hence why greater efforts are being made to ensure that the available land in this country is used to its greatest efficiency.  Questions or comments for us can be sent to people@cri.com.cn.  For Executive Director Zhao Yang and Producers Chen Mo and Xu Yang, I'm Paul James in Beijing.  We'll talk to you tomorrow.