Commenting on China’s rural transformation, SMU Associate Professor of Sociology Forrest Zhang said that Zhejiang’s solid economic foundation and active local enterprises provided strong support for rural revitalisation. Furthermore, during his tenure in Zhejiang, Chinese President Xi Jinping launched the Green Rural Revival Programme, which struck out new pathways for rural development through large-scale financial investment. However, Assoc Prof Zhang said candidly that it would be difficult to reach Zhejiang’s level as many local governments lack such financial strength and private capital, adding that rural villages do not have the same conditions as Zhejiang.
