ABSTRACT
The processes of land development in China past and present have always been the result of the interplay of the many different stakeholders who have the vested interest in the land as both a natural resource and an economic as well as a political asset. This interplay among different stakeholders has taken place within a historically specific social and economic context. It is also governed by a set of rules laid down by the state concerning how land should be used and who is to get what from the process of land development. This set of rules has been changing over the past several decades in response to changing historical circumstances. To understand the processes of land development and the interplay among different stakeholders in this process, it is essential to analyse the institutional framework that defines and regulates not only the relationship between land and its users but also the relationship among the actors and agencies who are involved directly or indirectly in the use and development of land.
