Hongping Lian is an Associate Professor and Vice Director of the MPA Program at Beijing Normal University’s School of Government, as well as Vice Dean of the University’s Academy of Government. She received her PhD from the University of Aberdeen, UK, and pursued postdoctoral research at the Department of Policy, City University of Hong Kong. Her primary areas of scholarship are political sociology and land policy. She has co-published a monograph – The China Well-Being (Minsheng) Development Report (2012) – in English, and has published over 10 articles in key journals such as World Development and Journal of Youth Studies. She has been involved in several projects, including one National Social Science Project. Several annual research reports she has spearheaded have received considerable attention from national leaders including Premier Li Keqiang.

• 1 Introduction.- 2 Literature Review and Theoretical Setting.- 3 Methodology.- 4 Local Setting and Institutional Norms.- 5 Interpretations and Situations.- 6 Facility of Power: on the Part of Land-lost Farmers.- 7 Facility of Power: on the Part of Local Government.- 8 Conclusion & Discussion.- 9 Appendices.