Two million peasants a year have lost their land this way in the past five years, a senior government adviser in north-east China said in March.

ECONOMIST: Urbanisation

The straightness of his back came from something else: that on his third attempt at escape from prison camp he was beaten senseless, and his skull and neck broken, by two Breton peasants with pitchforks, and was invalided out in exchange for a U-boat commander.

ECONOMIST: M.R.D. Foot

Mr Li predicts that any gains peasants have made are likely to be offset by such measures within the next two or three years.

ECONOMIST: China

This concept, first unveiled two years ago, suggests that the party represents not only its traditional clientele of workers, peasants, intellectuals, soldiers and officials but also new social forces such as private enterprise.

ECONOMIST: Behind China's closed doors