China is to adopt a land and resources hearing system as of May 1 to better manage its land resources, said an official with the Ministry of Land and Resources Tuesday.

The ministry issued a regulation about the hearing system on Tuesday, which has been drafted in accordance with the Law on Administrative Licensing and other related laws and regulations.

The regulation covers six key parts including the hearing scopes, hearing procedures and liability.

Wang Shouzhi, deputy director with the Policy and Law Department of the ministry, said the regulation provides a standard hearing procedure for the land and resources departments nationwide and will surely increase the efficiency and transparency of their work.

To safeguard the farmers' interests, the regulation requires local governments to have hearings on any variation of benchmark land prices and the land requisition plans.

When devising the compensation plan for the land requisition, local governments are required to inform the plaintiff of the right to ask for a public hearing.

The move comes after new substantial measures on land management issued a week ago, and is intended to build up a more open and transparent image of the ministry.

(Xinhua News Agency February 10, 2004)