The violation of central government regulations by rural cadres had contributed to rising tension between farmers and the state, a Xinhua editorial claimed yesterday.
The agency berated rural officials for failing to observe most rural policies.
Cadres often forced farmers to sell land at low prices so it could be leased to property developers. In some cases the officials had paid nothing for the land, the agency said.
The editorial said farmers had lost faith in the central government's land policy and many were reluctant to make long-term investments in their land.
It also criticised local officials for imposing extortionate fees on farmers.
'Some grassroots cadres . . . came up with all sorts of excuses to collect fees, impose fines, raise funds and arbitrarily increase the financial burden of farmers,' the editorial said. Some cadres seized crops and livestock if farmers failed to pay fees.
