Abstract: Since the reform and opening, the development of urban-rural relations in China can be divided into four stages: urban-rural relations have been improving (1978—1984), urban-rural re-separation (1984—2003), urban-rural integration development (2003—2012) and urban-rural comprehensive development (2012 so far). Under the reform of market orientation, the market forces and government forces work together, the system innovation and reform advance simultaneously, and the urban and rural residents work together. The urban-rural relationship in China has undergone a unique development path, undergoing profound changes and has been greatly improved. We put forward the theory of “deprivation of participation in the reform” to explain the separation of urban and rural areas and the widening of the urban-rural gap from the mid-1980s to the early 2000s, and summed up the urban-rural development theory formed by the Party Central Committee since the 18th CPC National Congress as “urban and rural development goal theory- urban and rural development path theory- urban and rural development strategy” consisting of theoretical system. At present, the difficulties in the development of urban and rural areas in China are the low level of urbanization of the household registration population and the underdeveloped economy in the county. In the future, we must carry out the urban-rural development idea of “taking the people as the center”, break the dual structure of urban and rural areas in five aspects, promote the implementation of the strategy of rejuvenating the country, persist in the principle of equal emphasis on urban and rural development and urban development, and revitalize the county economy