Conclusion

Abstract

China’s rural society has undergone significant transformation since the implementation of the Link Policy. The construction of centralised modern communities and consolidation of farmers’ original homesteads, which are two core components of the Link Policy, have dramatically altered the urban-rural landscape and resulted in remarkable impacts on rural society. This research investigated three key dimensions concerning the Link Policy: (1) the impacts of the policy on rural life; (2) the effectiveness of the policy in achieving its designed objectives and (3) factors affecting farmers’ levels of satisfaction with the policy. This study significantly contributes to the enrichment of the limited literature on the Link Policy and provides policy implications for future implementation of the policy in China. Built on the empirical investigation in Chaps. 5, 6 and 7, Chapter 8 aims to: (1) summarise the key research findings to address the research objectives; (2) critically discuss the contribution of this research to the existing literature and (3) identify the limitations of this study and provide suggestions for future work.