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It's very easy to do things like this when pesky things like property rights or environmental laws or labor protections don't get in the way.

In the U.S. and EU, if the government takes your land, they have to reimburse you for it, and you can fight them every step of the way. In China, the government can take your land and if you complain, you can spend the rest of your life in a labor camp.

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That's simply not true. People are compensated generously for land that is seized. I have friends that have had it happen, and you get a lot more money than if you were to sell the property - so it's a bit like winning the lottery. The amount of room for appeal is dictated by the nature of the seizure and the government "level". (ie if it's a national interest project you have little recourse, but if it's the city government then it's likely different)

Your friends must have good connections. Their experience was the exception, not the rule.

https://oxfordpoliticalreview.com/2025/04/17/protected-land-...

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