In a significant policy proposal emerging from China’s annual political gatherings, a leading economist has called for the systematic deployment of professional managers to revolutionize rural economic development. Zhou Li’an, a member of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and director of Peking University’s faculty of economics and management, argues that specialized “rural CEOs” could unlock sustainable growth by separating economic management from political governance.
The proposal comes as China transitions from its successful poverty alleviation campaign to a comprehensive rural vitalization strategy aimed at narrowing the urban-rural development gap. Under the current system, village officials typically juggle both administrative duties and commercial development, often lacking specialized business expertise.
“Village officials are more suited for political governance or traditional roles, but they are not good at economic management,” Zhou stated during the Two Sessions meetings. “You need professional people to do this professional work.”
The concept draws inspiration from successful models in prosperous regions like Zhejiang province, where young, city-trained professionals have returned to the countryside to focus exclusively on commercial strategies. These specialists work on building brands, managing collective assets, and developing high-value industries that transcend traditional agricultural activities.
Zhou’s comprehensive framework includes multiple strategic components: attracting private investment through clear profit incentives, developing integrated industry clusters that combine production, processing, logistics and services, and creating government-backed risk-sharing mechanisms. He particularly emphasized the need to move beyond homogeneous e-commerce competition toward value creation through regional branding and quality standards.
The proposal has gained traction among economists as China formally recognized “rural collective economy managers” as a new profession in December 2025. China Agricultural University President Sun Qixin noted the critical shortage of professionals who combine technological expertise with business and management skills as rural industries increasingly integrate agriculture, manufacturing and services.
Zhou also advocated for innovative approaches to rural e-commerce, suggesting that livestreaming studios should move from indoor settings directly into fields to broadcast crop growth and share local traditions. “This storytelling adds emotional value to the product’s selling process,” he explained, emphasizing that the future of rural e-commerce lies not in selling cheaper but in selling smarter.