Rural China starts to take off

• Published 01 Jul 2010

Higher migrant worker wages, a rural construction boom, a surge in land usage rights transfers and the spread of credit to rural areas are driving the transformation of fortunes in the 721m-strong rural economy.

Wu Renchao is typical of a new type of Chinese 'farmer'. The 49 year-old resident of Gangmei village, 268 miles east of Guangzhou, does not till the fields anymore. He lives in a four-storey home and spends around seven hours a day on his 10 year-old tractor, ferrying bricks and cement to local home builders. "This year is much busier than previous years," he said, as he finished a bowl of noodles before heading back to work.

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