Research on the Construction of Rural Rule of Law under the Background of Digital Countryside

Zhang Yiyuan

School of Law (School of Discipline Inspection and Supervision), Jiangxi University of Finance and Economics

Abstract：

With the rapid advancement of information technology, the development of digital countryside has become a crucial avenue for advancing the rural revitalization strategy, while simultaneously imposing new requirements on the existing legal frameworks and institutional arrangements in rural areas. Conventional rural governance models, which mainly rely on regional customs and traditions, are increasingly inadequate for the needs of the digital era. This study examines the significance, challenges and potential solutions regarding the development of rule of law in rural areas within the framework of digital countryside, with a particular focus on the adaptability of the existing legal frameworks and on the roles of local legislatures, platform enterprises, social organizations and grassroots self-governing organizations in this process. Methodologically, the study combines a literature review with an analysis of representative county-level digital governance practices reported in existing studies, so that institutional design can be examined against the actual operation of rural governance. The findings indicate that the current supply of rural rule of law is not yet matched with digital transformation, as manifested in the insufficient regulation of agricultural data, vague rights and responsibilities of digital governance subjects, a shortage of grassroots digital rule-of-law talents, and the inadequacy of traditional governance methods in coping with new disputes in digital scenarios. Accordingly, this study proposes taking the protection of farmers' rights and interests as the foundation, improving institutional norms in the digital field related to agriculture, clarifying the rules for data collection, circulation and security protection, promoting the digitalization of legal services, law enforcement and the judiciary, and establishing a collaborative governance pattern among the government, grassroots self-governing organizations and social organizations that coordinates rigid laws with flexible rural regulations and agreements. The study argues that the effectiveness of rural rule of law construction in the digital era depends not only on the completeness of formal legislation, but also on the coordination between formal rules and the informal norms on which rural society still relies, and on the capacity of grassroots subjects to apply them in concrete disputes. Its conclusions may also serve as a reference for local legislatures and grassroots governments in designing digital rural policies. These findings provide theoretical support and practical guidance for the modernization of the rural governance system and governance capacity and for the harmonious and stable development of rural society.

Key Words：

digital era; rural governance; rule of law development