Opinion: To Revive Rural China, Define Where Public Space Ends and Private Space Begins

On a recent trip to the countryside, the first thing I noticed was that the construction of houses was in full swing, but it was a mess. Some houses were large and lavish, while others were empty and unoccupied. In some places, powerful locals and those who got rich outside the village had encroached on public land. On the surface, it might look like there isn’t enough space in the village to build in a more orderly fashion. But the real problem is the lack of a clear line between public and private space.