None of this is a good deal for the farmers, and the result, according to Chinese researchers, is that land conflicts are the source of 65 percent of the more than 180,000 protests China experiences annually.

Premier Wen Jiabao, who never misses an opportunity these days to push for a bit more political reform, made the issue of farmers' rights a central point in his early February 2012 visit to Guangdong. He noted, "The root of the problem is that the land is the property of the farmers, but this right has not been protected in the way it should be." Wen also noted, "We must certainly protect the voting rights of farmers, and be unwavering in properly carrying out village self-governance and direct election of village committees."

Despite Wen's best efforts, without a real system of official accountability or the rule of law, there seems little likelihood that farmers will gain the upper hand any time soon. The Global Times notwithstanding, the details of the survey data say it all: more Wukans are on China's horizon.

This article originally appeared at CFR.org, an Atlantic partner site.