As the People’s Republic of China celebrates its 60th anniversary, the fate of its land remains an unsettled issue The question of rural land rights strikes at the heart of a struggle over how the party seeks to define itself, and the nation in the future. It brings the Central government to a crossroads: will it continue further down the path of economic reform, or hold true to collective ownership, one of the few remaining pillars of modern China’s founding father, Mao Zedong.

Aired on the Al Jazeera English program “101 East,” 1 October 2009.