March 27, 2007 9:54AM # Respecting Property Rights By [Tim Lynch](https://www.cato.org/people/tim-lynch) --- SHARE This dramatic photo appears on the front page of today’s *New York Times.*  [](https://www.cato.org/images/homepage/blog/china_600.jpg) ![Media Name: china_400.jpg](/sites/cato.org/files/styles/pubs_2x/public/download-remote-images/www.cato.org/172395922072/china_400.jpg?itok=gY4hw1bN) Chinese authorities are respecting the [legal rights of a landowner](http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/27/world/asia/27china.html?_r=1&ref=asia&oref=slogin) who does not wish to sell her parcel. Maybe this incident will have a [Sputnik-like](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sputnik_1) effect on American policymakers: “Hey, the commies are getting ahead of us on property rights! Let’s reverse the *[Kelo](https://www.cato.org/2006/06/24/one-year-after-kelo-good-news-and-bad-news/)* ruling and stop [eminent domain abuse](http://www.castlecoalition.org/)!” For Cato work related to property rights, go [here](https://www.cato.org/legalissues/property-rights.html). ##### Related Tags [General](https://www.cato.org/general), [Constitutional Law](https://www.cato.org/constitutional-law), [Robert A. Levy Center for Constitutional Studies](https://www.cato.org/robert-levy-center-constitutional-studies) [![Creative Commons License](/build/cato_2020/images/creative-commons.svg)](http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/) This work is licensed under a [Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-ShareAlike 4.0 International License](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/).