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Comment by MaxPock

2 months ago

From my visits to China, lI've come to conclude that Chinese people have more property rights than Westerners .

I saw roads built around houses because villagers refused to sell.

Eminent domain doesn't seem to exist there

Details matter. Chinese have more in some areas, less in others. China also sometimes does things just for a show, so maybe that villager was allowed to now sell so they could off how progressive they were - while they take lots of other property. China also has a corruption problem (as does all countries!), maybe that villager belonged to the CCP and so had extra rights.

Until we get down to details it is hard to say who as more rights. And even when we have to weigh rights, if you don't care about a right does it matter that you don't have it?

  • many, many chinese people WANT their property to get eminent domained, because they can get well compensated for it. sometimes it's even above market rates or they'll be given multiple apartments (that they can then rent out) in exchange for giving up property that will be developed. a lot of older housing stock that the owners dont even live in is being held on to and not sold just because these people are hoping they get bought out for a big development project which is better than actually selling the place

    • Sure, but OP is talking about the case where someone doesn't want it. This might be a tiny minority or it might be a large number of people - I don't know.