X-4 Question: For many years, the problems of Chinese local governments' violation of land laws remain unresolved and the phenomena of land abuse and land resource waste can be frequently seen. What measures will China take to prevent such phenomena while strengthening land management and protection of farmland?
A: It is true that land laws violation is really something that needs serious attentions. Some local governments transferred farmlands into construction lands under different names, some wantonly changing the general plan for land utilization to approve using of farmlands, some engaging in real estate development or building golf course and villas by using farmland.
China is a populous developing country and the land issue is of always strategic importance in China's modernization process. Currently, China has only more than 120 million hectares of tillable lands nationwide with per capita farmlands much lower than the world average. In order to ensure the 1.3 billion Chinese people's life, the area of farmlands in China should be no less than 120 million hectares.
Chinese Government will comprehensively take economic, legal and necessary administrative measures to cope with the problems in land management and farmland protection. Meanwhile, the national land supervising system is currently under formal operation. The State Land Supervision Bureau will strengthen its supervision upon land management of local governments and leaders of local governments will shoulder direct responsibility in this regard. The government leaders and staff shall be investigated and affixed the responsibilities, who do not stop land abuses and do not punish related people, who conceal land violation cases, and who do not carry out and abide by land management laws and rules. These measures will not only effectively coordinate the interests among governments of various levels, land users and farmers, but also prevent the over-expansion of construction land through legal, economic and administrative ways for better a management of land and the protection of farmland.
(China.org.cn)