The Chinese president’s trip to Europe did not result in any headline-grabbing developments, but that did not prevent it from achieving everything it needed to. Rejecting European complaints about China’s economic and geopolitical practices while stoking divisions between the EU and US all plays to Beijing’s interests.
China finds itself in need of its latest landmark reform as the urban-rural divide keeps growing and the broader economy is seeking new sources of growth. One possible solution is finding better uses for rural land and giving farmers the same legal rights as urban residents to rent, transfer or mortgage their land.