Legislation is being planned to protect the environment of
islands that is now threatened by the country's fast economic
development and to prevent vested interests from using them to
threaten China's sovereignty and national security.
A national island protection and development plan will be ready
and several rules and regulations on island management will be
enacted in two years, the State Oceanic Administration said at a
recent policy symposium that was attended by 16 ministries'
representatives.
The regulations will strengthen the management of island
development and the right to use uninhabited islands, and protect
those earmarked for special purposes, Beijing-based Legal
Daily reported.
In recent years, the fast economic development and scarce land
resources have prompted many companies to shift their projects to
uninhabited islands. This has caused serious damage to the
environment.
Since there is no national plan, developers blow up hills and
dump wastes on many islands. Many precious islets have been lost
forever after some large projects have reclaimed land from the
sea.
The situation is getting worse, especially because even a single
project has the potential of destroying up to a dozen such islets,
the report said.
Seventy-five of the 77 territorial base points that China has
declared are islands. But the general lack of protection for these
island means there could be hidden dangers for China's security and
sovereignty.
Legislation on protection of islands for special purposes is
expected to change the prevailing situation under which those used
as territorial base points have become vulnerable.
China has more than 6,500 islands along its coast that have an
area more than 500 square meters. The number of smaller islands is
more than 10,000.
Besides the legislation, China also plans to invest more on
infrastructure construction on some of its islands.
This will help solve many of the problems faced by the people
living on those islands, such as lack of drinking water and
electricity, and insufficient communication and transport
facilities.
These problems are expected to be solved in a decade, the report
said.
(China Daily June 29, 2007)