China will strengthen its resource exploration in the next five
years, Li Yuan, vice minister of the Ministry
of Land and Resources, said on Friday at the start of a
high-profile meeting on the ministry's work plans for the next five
years.
It is expected that the ministry will try to find 4-4.5 billion
tons of petroleum, 2-2.5 trillion cubic meters of natural gas, 2.5
billion tons of iron ore, 20 million tons of copper ore, and 100
billion tons of coal during the 11th Five-Year Guideline (2006-10)
period, Li said.
"The ascertainment will serve as insurance for the country's
sustainable development," Li said.
In the next five years, the land used for construction will be
strictly controlled, especially construction projects on
farmland.
The ministry will finish the national land use plan outline in
June 2006, aiming for better use and protection of the country's
land resources, Li said. The plan will focus on protecting
farmland, controlling construction land use and saving land
resources.
Next year, in order to implement the country's policy of
stabilizing the pricing of real estate, the ministry will enhance
land supply for real estate developers of medium and small-sized
apartments, strictly control land supply for high-end real estate
projects of low density and stop villa construction.
The vice minister stressed that illegal activities such as
profiteering from land sales would be strictly forbidden.
In 2005, a total of 4,631 hectares of land have been saved from
construction use nationwide. And illegal land use under the excuse
of creating local development zones has been effectively curbed, he
said.
Li added the first batch of 35 development zones' boundaries has
been verified.
(China Daily December 17, 2005)