| The concept of urban-rural integration is proposed on the basis of the dualistic structure of the city and countryside in the economic and social development and the isolation of urban and rural relationship. It mainly refers to the establishment of an effective mechanism to achieve the free flow of the resources and the production factors between the city and countryside and to make the urban and rural areas cooperate, interact and help each other forward, and complement each other's advantages. It means to form a sustainable and harmonious development of economy, society, culture and ecology. It is presented as the coordination of urban and rural development in the process of urban-rural integration. In fact, modernization, for most countries worldwide, is a process to eliminate the dualistic economic structure gradually and achieve the integration of the city and countryside. Marxism believes that the development of urban-rural integration is defined internally. The improvement of the urban-rural relationship from isolation to interaction and integration is fundamentally promoted by the development of the productive force. However, the productive force differs in different economic and social periods.At the initial stage of the capitalism, the completion of the industrial revolution brought the accomplishment of the urbanization in west countries. Nevertheless, this also caused many negative results, such as the ever widening development gap between the city and countryside, and more severe urban-rural contradictions. What is worse, the wide urban and rural gap leaded to the intensified social and economical contradictions, impacting the stability of the society. Therefore, the west countries had to take measures and work out policies to eliminate the contradictions between the urban and rural areas. For the purpose of finding a supporting theory for these policies, west scholars have carried out a series of theoretical studies since the middle of the 19th century. And after that, the urban-rural integration became the main stream of the social and economic development.After taking on the practice of reform and opening up, especially at the end of 1980s, the urban-rural gap in China was widening for the gradually weakening effect brought by economic system reform in rural areas and a vigorous growing in the reform of state-owned enterprises. And both the theoretical-workers and the decision-makers recognized the significance of the urban-rural integration. In 2008, the discussion was focused on the direction of the rural reform and the road of development at the Third Plenary Session of the Eleventh Central Committee. It pointed out that our country had stepped into the period of promoting the agriculture with industry and developing rural areas through urban development. It was a key period for the reform of traditional agriculture, the modernization of agriculture with Chinese characteristics, the elimination of the dualistic structure of the city and countryside, and the formation of the integration of the social and economic development in rural and urban areas.At present, the urbanization level in our country is far lower than the level of the industrialization (according to the statistics, the urbanization rate was 0.2 percent lower than the rate of the industrialization of China, and 0.4 percent lower than the average rate of the world). And the dualistic structure of the city and countryside leads to the slow increase of people's income in rural areas, widening the gap of the economic development between the city and countryside. The slow growth of economy in rural areas lags down the upgrade of the urban economy and industry. And rural problems become the biggest obstacles for the further development in our country. Therefore, it is of great urgency-to coordinate the urban-rural integration. And theoretical workers have done a great deal of researches about it. Some cities like Suzhou in Jiangsu province, Chengdu in Sichuan province and Chongqing municipality directly under the central government are the pilot cities for the urban-rural integration, enriching the practice and theories of the urban-rural integration in our country.1. Main Contents of the StudyFirst, the framework of the study of the urban-rural integration. The framework of the study of the urban-rural integration is defined here. Its general characteristics, operation mechanism and main contents are elaborated, too. Moreover, evaluation criterions and methods of the urban-rural integration are determined.Second, the theoretical base of the study of the urban-rural integration. The results of the study of the relation between the rural and urban areas has been analyzed systematically from different perspectives by many distinguished persons ranging from the originator of the modern economics, Adam Smith to Charles Max, Friedrich Engels and Vladimir Ilich Lenin and many other west scholars of different fields. The paper also expounds the development history of the theory of urban-rural relations in China, the urban-rural relations studies in different fields and subjects, and related studies of urban-rural integration in western China.Third, the practice and experience of urban-rural integration home and abroad. The paper concludes the experience of urban-rural integration through the analysis of the urban-rural integration in Norway, Britain, South Korean, Japan, America and China and explains the problems in the integration of rural and urban areas systematically. It also evaluates the integration from the theories of urban-rural development and the progress of this concept to the four periods of practices.Fourth, evaluation indicator system model of urban-rural integration. Evaluation criteria and methods are established on the basis of the following three indicators:development, differentiae and coordination of the urban-rural integration.Fifth, main features and typical patterns of urban-rural relations in western China since the establishment of the PRC. The paper summarizes the main patterns of urban-rural relations in western China and the problems in them through the classification of the urban-rural relation and the history of its development in China. The paper also thoroughly presents the profound influence of the development of the urban-rural integration in western China.Sixth, the design of the strategies and mechanism for the development of the urban helping rural policy in western China. The paper puts forward the development strategies for the development of the urban-rural integration based on the specific situation of western China. Then, the paper designs a mechanism of urban-rural integration in western China from the aspects of driving mechanism and coordination mechanism. After that, the paper puts forward the theoretical innovation of urban-rural integration in western China.Seventh, the innovation and selection of the patterns of urban heiping rural policy based on the market mechanism. The paper describes the innovation and choice of the patterns of the urban-rural integration and puts forward the theoretical innovation areas and directions; the paper concludes several patterns of innovation on the basis of development pattern of urban-rural relations and the practical experience of Chongqing. With the practice of Chongqing as a foundation, the paper raises some patterns like the pattern of promotion in a gradient, the pattern of expansion like a ribbon, the pattern of Industrial Park and the pattern of Development Park.Eighth, the strategic principles and measures of urban-rural integration in the west China will be put forward. The strategic principles and measures to promoting the development of urban-rural integration in western China. The paper presents the corresponding strategic measures in the coordinated development of the urban and rural areas of western China on the basis of the five principles of unbalanced integral development, interactive development, the combination of the market-orientation and effective government interference, institutional innovation and system coordination.Ninth, conclusions and the application of the policies. The paper concludes the results achieved in this study, analyzes the application of the policies and points out the problems to be further studied.2. Main ConclusionsFirst, the urban-rural integration can be achieved through Movement mechanism by the market mechanism. The emulative development by people and the prior development of the heavy industry unbalance the urban-rural relationships. For the lack of the macro polices, the urban-rural relations in western China are isolated gradually. And the city plays a leading role in the evolution of the urban-rural relationship in western China. All the above lead to a relatively slower pace of the urbanization of western China, poor employment rate in cities, unreasonable arrangement of the cities and towns, large gap between the regional, social and economic development, and the imbalance of the development of the public service in rural and urban areas.Second, the low-level development of urban-rural integration in western is for many reasons. In the western regions of China, man-made catch-up type macroeconomic policy is adopted. And the settlement of household registration system strengthens the separation of urban and rural socio-economic relations, while the enterprise, as a economic entity subordinated to authorized agency, is lack of innovation, which brings about the insufficient supply of micro system.Third, the urban-rural integration should be promoted while adhering to the principle of combining market control with government leading. First of all, the coordinated development of farmers and workers in rural and urban areas should be promoted in accordance with the evolution pattern of the urban-rural relationship. And the modernization of China should be guaranteed through building up the linkage between cities and countryside, deploying as whole, moving forward together and coordinating the social and economic development of rural and urban areas. Then, the government should play its leading role in the coordination of the urban-rural development, attach great importance to the agricultural development, the prosperity of the rural areas and the well-off of the people in rural areas, give more supports and protection to the agriculture, and provide more financial supports to rural areas. Meanwhile, all positive factors should be mobilized into the coordinated development of the rural and urban areas.Fouth, the urban-rural integration level of Chongqing has been improved in the last three years, but the overall level is still low. On the basis of the analysis of the primary framework of the urban-rural reform practice and the practice of the urban-rural integration in Chongqing, it is believed that the urban-rural integration of Chongqing is far behind that of east China in terms of the several indicators of urbanization rate, per capita GDP, the difference of the urban and rural employment structures and coordination degree of regional development.Fifth, the institutional innovation and macro system perfection should be laid stress on in the urban-rural integration of western China. In accordance with the goal of building up an equal institutional framework for the urban and rural areas, governments of different levels should be urged to convert their focus from the micro benefits of individual enterprise and individual city to the macro benefits of the whole urban and rural areas. The corresponding reform should be carried out in the household registration system, housing system, system of education, medical system and social security system for the purpose of the coordinated development between urban and rural areas. A unified policy system and its implementing regulations should be worked out together to establish an equal and fair social environment.Sixth, based on the status quo of the development and the basic patterns, the innovation of the urban helping rural pattern should be increased. In accordance with the regional development pattern, and the level and characteristics of the economic development periods, some strategies like the equal development rights of the urban and rural economy and the inland open economic system should be established for the development of the urban-rural integration in western China, with a combination of the influence of the core cities and the promotion of the rural economy. According to the practical experience of Chongqing, the development pattern of urban-rural integration in western China should be the pattern of gradual influence and promotion in a gradient, the pattern combining the points and shafts, the pattern of expansion like a ribbon, the Industrial Park pattern and the remolding pattern dominated by Development Zone.Seventh, it is necessary for western China to complete the corresponding countermeasures to promote the urban helping rural pattern. These countermeasures include enhancing the regional integration and regional competition edges—to achieve a unbalanced development strategy, promoting the employment as the main part and speeding up the transformation of the rural labor force into urban labor force, focusing on the institutional innovation and eliminating the systematic obstacles in the development of the urban-rural integration, basing the promotion of the opening up and establishing the inland open economy, and boosting the ecological construction of the urban and rural areas with the protection of the ecosystem as its center. 3. Key Points in the StudyFirst, the urban-rural integration, or the coordination of the urban and rural areas, in western China is a gradual process for it not only relies on the supports of the government for the urban-rural development policies, but also involves the development level of the society and economy. No matter the reformation or the development is not once and for all, it runs through the whole process of economic and social development.Second, the backward urban-rural integration in western China is both the result of the nature of the economy itself and the consequence of the isolation of the rural and urban relationship caused by the long existing household registration system and macro policies in our country, such as household registration system, strategic positioning for western regions. Therefore, the foundation work of the promotion of the urban-rural integration is to develop the rural economy, optimize the external environment, enhance the reform of the household registration system and adjust the direction of the macro policies.Third, the isolation of the city and countryside gives rise to the widening gap between the city and the countryside, the rich and the poor. Moreover, the social contradictions are intensified and mass disturbances continuously occur. All these are dire threats to the building up of a harmonious society. Therefore, it is necessary to set a goal for the urban helping rural policy, perfect its methods and mechanism, innovate development patterns, and put forward policies and measures.Fourth, with proper reform policies, reasonable mechanism and practical development patterns, and through the urban helping rural policy perfection, the process of urban-rural integration can be speeded up in western China. And the achievements of the development of the pilot zones for the comprehensive supplementary reform of the urban-rural coordination in Chongqing and Chengdu also provide us with good practical experience.4. Innovations of the StudyFirst, an evaluation indicator system pattern of urban-rural integration is established. With Chongqing as an example,25 indicators are chosen from the development, differentiae and coordination of the urban-rural integration to form the evaluation criteria and methods. And the urban-rural integration level of Chongqing is analyzed according to these methods and indicators.Second, the employment of urban helping rural policy in western regions is to forward the development of the urban-rural integration design. In terms of the driving mechanism, the following aspects are included:increasing the influence of the growth poles of the city through the pattern of the influence of the core cities; promoting the urbanization of the rural areas, increasing the city population and the number of the cities; innovating the system of the urban-rural coordination and enhancing the development power through the arrangement of the incentive system. In terms of the coordination mechanism, on the one hand, it means the interference by the government through improving the pertinence of the micro policies; on the other hand, the infrastructure is enhanced to increase the public linkage effect between the city and countryside.Third, the establishment of urban helping rural policy is to enhance the development of the urban-rural integration. In accordance with the strategic principles, the five principle of unbalanced integral development, interactive development, the combination of the market-orientation and effective government interference, institutional innovation and system coordination should be followed. In terms of the choice of pattern, there are the pattern of gradual influence and promotion in a gradient, the pattern of expansion and promotion like a ribbon and some other patterns. And the countermeasures include enhancing the regional integration and regional competition edges—to achieve a unbalanced development strategy, promoting the employment as the main part and speeding the transformation of the rural labor force into urban labor force, focusing on the institutional innovation and eliminating the systematic obstacles in the development of the urban-rural integration, basing the promotion of the opening up and establishing the inland open economy, and boosting the ecological construction of the urban and rural areas with the protection of the ecosystem as its focus.
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