This book explores the market-oriented experiment of rural collective operational construction land in China, revealing how land commodification shapes rural transformation through complex interactions between state and collective actors.

It provides a nuanced understanding of land commodification processes and their impacts on rural development. Through empirical case studies and an actor-centered analytical approach, the book unpacks state-led policy experimentation and village collectives’ diverse responses in rural China.

This book is intended for scholars, researchers, and postgraduate students in human geography, rural studies, development studies, political economy, and China studies, as well as policymakers and practitioners involved in land governance and rural development.

Renhao Yang is a lecturer at the School of Geographical Sciences, Southwest University, China, and holds a PhD in Human Geography from KU Leuven, Belgium. His research lies at the intersection of political economy, land governance, and rural transformation in contemporary China. His publications include articles in the Journal of Peasant Studies, Journal of Rural Studies, and Geoforum, and he has served as a reviewer for several international journals in rural sociology and geography