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China's top legislature will send a team to find out how a law on rural land contract has been implemented in order to prevent farmers' land rights from being infringed.

The team, organized by the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), will go in six separate groups to the provinces of Hebei, Jilin, Anhui, Shandong, Hunan and Gansu from August to October, according to a meeting of the NPC Standing Committee Saturday in Beijing.

The top legislature also ordered local legislatures of other provinces and regions to check the enforcement of laws concerning rural land contract and the mediation and arbitration of rural land contract disputes.

Wu Bangguo, chairman of the NPC Standing Committee, said in a written comment that the inspections are aimed at helping protect farmers' rights in land contract system, maintain the stability of the system, and strengthen the management and services regarding the transfer of farmers' land contract management rights.

Wu said the inspections also aim to prevent the country's arable land from being illegally occupied, and better address the disputes stemming from rural land contract management.

Under China's existing land ownership structure, rural collectives own rural land. The collective, often a village committee, distributes land-use rights to households on 30-year contracts. Farmers are allowed to contract, rent, and exchange or transfer their land use rights.

Uyunqimg, vice chairperson of the Standing Committee of the NPC, said at the meeting that it is fundamentally important to promote better implementation of the laws through inspections because the rural land contract law has a bearing on farmers' interests, agricultural development, and the stability in rural regions.

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