【正文】 lagers mittees in a village, the ownership of the land owned collectively by the peasants of the collective economic organizations in the village shall remain unchanged. Where rural land owned by the State but is used collectively by the peasants according to law, contracts shall be issued by the rural collective economic organizations, villagers mittees or villagers groups that use such land. Article 13 The party giving out the contracts shall enjoy the following rights: (1) giving out contracts for the rural land owned by the collective to which the party belongs or owned by the State but is used by the said collective according to law。 (2) exercising supervision over the rational use and protection of the land by the contractor in keeping with the purpose of use agreed upon in the contract。 (3) stopping the contractor from damaging the contracted land and agricultural resources。 and (4) other rights provided for by laws and administrative rules and regulations. Article 14 The party giving out the contract shall have the following obligations: (1) maintaining the right of the contractor to land contractual management, and refraining from illegally modifying and revoking the contract. (2) respecting the contractor39。s right to make its own decision on production and operation, and refraining from interfering with the normal production and operation conducted by the contractor according to law。 (3) providing the contractor services in respect of production, technology, information, etc. as agreed upon in the contract。 (4) carrying out the overall plan for land use worked out by the people39。s government of the county or township (town) and making arrangements for the construction of agricultural infrastructure within its own collective economic organization。 and (5) other obligations provided for in laws and administrative rules and regulations. Article 15 The contractor of a household contract shall be the peasant household of the collective economic organization concerned. Article 16 The contractor shall enjoy the following rights: (1) enjoying in accordance with law the rights to use the land contracted, to reap the yields and to circulate the right to land contractual management, and the right to make its own decision regarding the arrangements for production and operation as well as the disposition of the products。 (2) enjoying in accordance with lawful right to obtain appropriate pensation for the contracted land that is requisitioned or occupied according to law。 and (3) other rights provided for in laws and administrative rules and regulations. Article 17 The contractor shall have the following obligations: (1) keeping or using the land for agricultural purposes, and refraining from using it for nonagricultural development。 (2) protecting and rationally using the land in accordance with law, and refraining from causing permanent damage to the land。 and (3) other obligations provided for in laws and administrative rules and regulations. Section 2 Principles and Procedures for Contracting Article 18 The following principles shall be abided by in the contracting of land: (1) when arrangements are made for undertaking contracts in accordance with relevant provisions, members of the same collective economic organization shall, according to law and on an equal footing, exercise the right to contract land, and they may, of their own free will, give up such right。 (2) democratic consultation, fairness and equitableness。 (3) in accordance with the provisions of Article 12 of this Law, the contracting plan shall, according to law, be subject to consent by not less than twothirds of the members of the villagers assembly of the collective economic organization concerned or of the villagers39。 representatives。 and (4) the contract procedures conform to the provisions of law. Article 19 Land shall be contracted out in accordance with the following procedures: (1) a contractworking team shall be elected by the villagers assembly of the collective economic organization concerned。 (2) the contractworking team shall, in accordance with the provisions of laws and administrative rules and regulations, draw up and announce its contracting plan。 (3) convening, according to law, the villagers assembly of the collective economic organization concerned to adopt the contracting plan through discussion。 (4) making known to the public arrangements for the implementation of the contracting plan。 and (5) concluding the contract. Section 3 Term of the Contract and the Contract Article 20 The term of contract for arable land is 30 years. The term of contract for grassland ranges from 30 to 50 years. The term of contract for forestland ranges from 30 to 70 years。 the term of contract for forestland with special trees may, upon approval by the petent administrative department for forestry under the State Council, be longer. Article 21 The party giving the contract shall sign a written contract with the contractor. A contract shall, in general, include the following clauses: (1) the names of the party giving out the contract and the contractor, and the names and domiciles of the responsible person of the party giving out the contract and the representative of the contractor。 (2) the name, location, area and quality grade of the contracted land。 (3) the term of contract and the dates of beginning and end。 (4) the purpose of use of the contracted land。 (5) the rights and obligations of the party giving out the contract and the contractor。 and (6) liability for breach of the contract. Article 22 A contract shall go into effect as of the date of its conclusion. The contractor shall obtain the right to land contractual management as of the date the contract goes into effect. Article 23 Local people39。s governments at or above