China?released a land survey ordinance on Thursday to
strengthen management, protect arable land and to promote the
sustainable development of the nation's economy.
Under the ordinance, China will launch a national land survey
every 10 years and conduct a land change survey annually. This
includes changes in land use, owners, conditions, among others.
The release of the ordinance, effective Thursday, is aimed at
collecting accurate and authentic data of the nation's land
resources and uses to conduct scientific planning, optimize land
utilization and its efficient protection.
Almost a quarter of new land acquisitions in Chinese cities from
October 2005 to October 2006 were illegal, the Ministry of Land and
Resources said in mid 2007.
During the period, about 51 percent of new land use projects in
90 cities were illegal. The figure was as high as 80 percent in 17
cities, the ministry said.
Last month, more than 2,700 officials had been referred for
prosecution on land use violation charges involving more than 3.3
million mu (220,000 hectares). This followed an 100-day campaign to
crackdown on local governments that illegally transferred household
land to property developers.
As GDP growth played a crucial role in official promotion, local
governments have often acquiesced to illegal land use to attract
investment.
China currently faces a severe farmland shortage. Its arable
land declined from 122 million hectares to 121.8 million hectares
in 2006, almost hitting the official bottom line of 120 million
hectares.
(Xinhua News Agency February 15, 2008)