A proposal to divert water from the Bohai Sea on China's eastern coast to Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region in the far west to fight deserts and sandstorms is "unfeasible" and an "illusion," water resources scientists and experts said Tuesday.

They made the remarks while responding to questions at a press conference in Beijing concerning a study on Xinjiang's water strategy and sustainable development.

Shi Yulin, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering and a research fellow at the Institute of Geographic Sciences and Natural Resources Research of the Chinese Academy of Sciences, said the salt contained in the huge amount of diverted sea water could further encrust the saline land in Xinjiang.

Li Zechun, an academician at the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and former director of the National Climate Center, said the sea water could not produce sufficient vapor to create enough rainfall to affect the climate in northwestern regions.

Ning Yuan, former deputy director and research fellow of the South-North Water Diversion Project Commission (SNWDPC) of the State Council, said the Bohai Sea was 5,000 km from Xinjiang, five times the distance of the South-North Water Diversion from Danjiangkou, in central Hubei Province, to Beijing.

That meant the laying of a pipeline, the huge cost of the project, and the water distribution were all problems "beyond imagination," Ning said.

In a widely reported meeting on Nov. 5 in Urumqi, capital of Xinjiang, researchers and local government officials discussed the proposal to divert water from east China to the west.

It was suggested that the huge amount of sea water, if diverted to the west, could form man-made lakes and rivers and serve as vapor source to create more rainfall and contain the threat of desertification in north and northwest China.

Water shortages and desertification continue to hinder development in northwest China, despite intensified efforts to fight deserts over the years.

It is believed that with enough water, northwest regions like Xinjiang could further speed economic development with their rich natural resources.

The proposal has become a hot topic among the public and many people, doubting its feasibility, considered it more of a joke than a serious option.

The construction of South-North Water Diversion Project, aiming to divert water from the water-rich south China, mainly from the Yangtze River, to north China, started in December 2002 and is expected to take 40 to 50 years to complete. The government has invested 140.5 billion yuan (21.2 billion U.S. dollars) in the project over the last five years.