On the morning of June 17th, Unirule Seminar on land issues was held at Unirule office in Beijing. 
Professor James Riddell, former UN FAO expert and professor of Wisconsin University, gave a presentation on “US Experience in Land Administration: Law in Practice, Law on the Books”. By combing through the history of American land administration by introducing regulations and laws, major events, and the evolution of land administration and the concept of property. In the early stages of American history, people obtained land from nature, then there was a period when people traded their loyalty to the government for the protection of their private property rights, and now there is the arrangement of zoning and planning in contemporary land administration, which imposed new challenge to people’s understanding of property rights. Professor Riddell also mentioned the influence of the Magna Carta on American history. He mentioned that the concept of property has been changing. Property rights used to be considered an inalienable right, but now it is dependent on people’ imagination of their future. Both the US and China are in a transition period. In the seminar, Professor ZHANG Shuguang, Chairman of Unirule Academic Committee, commented on the influence of the Magna Carta on America’s land development. Professor YANG Junfeng, non-resident researcher of Unirule, introduced the common phenomenon of private ownership of land in the history of China. Mr. ZHENG Zhenyuan, former director of the Ministry of Land and Resources, commented on the concept of property rights in China and the US.
Over 20 participants from the press, academia, and the society were present in the seminar. Mr. MA Junjie, Assistant to the Director of Unirule International Cooperation Center, interpreted for the seminar. View presentation of the speech |
