Crackdown on illegal land use pays off

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Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Friday, November 28, 2003

Crackdown on illegal land use pays off

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The tough measures taken by the Chinese government to crack down on illegal use of farmland have produced initial results, with the practice of recklessly occupying farmland substantially checked, land officials said Friday.

"To date, 2,046 out of the 5,658 economic development zones or industrial parks nationwide have been canceled or merged with others," said Wang Shiyuan, spokesman for the Ministry of Land and Resources, at a press conference.

Meanwhile, local governments had stopped approving the establishment of new development zones or their expansion, he said, adding that local laws and regulations contravening those on land use have been revoked.

The spokesman also said during the crackdown campaign, 738 officials were punished, with 134 being put on criminal trial.

The campaign was kicked off recently amid the continuous decrease of farmland and a grain price hike in the country. Experts warned that if the practice of illegal use of farmland is not checked, the country could eventually face food shortages.

Wang blamed local officials for the shrinkage of farmland, saying that they cared much more about the GDP growth figures thanabout sustainable development for the purpose of getting promoted.

To change the situation, standards in judging the work merits of local officials must be improved, said Zhang Pu, deputy director of the ministry's Law Enforcement and Supervision Bureau.

At the same time, laws and regulations on land should also be perfected, with enforcement efforts strengthened, he said.

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