GIVEN the Chinese overnment's determination to stimulate industrial and urban development during the past 50 years,policymakers now look ty improve rural conditions.Although the central government has made efforts to redress the situation in recent years,implementation of relevant policies has been slow.In 2004,the government put forth a series of agricultural reform measures concerning rural taxation.domicilestatus and land.which was seen as a demonstration of the new leadership's resolve to rackle rural problems.Some policy watchers likened the year 2004 to a “second spring”for rural China.