Chinese Vice-Premier Hui Liangyu Friday called for greater efforts to protect the country's grasslands, which he said are critical to the nation's environmental safety and sustainable economic growth.

He made the remarks at a meeting where he was briefed on the results of research that seeks to define a strategy for the sustainable development of China's grassland.

The protection and building of pastures has to be taken into account in the context of the national efforts towards an environment-friendly society and of the building of a "new socialist countryside," Hui acknowledged.

The vice-premier said the protection of grasslands as an important strategic resource is very crucial to the conservation of biological diversity as well as to the development of modern agriculture and the prosperity of rural farmers.

In pursuing the jobs, he said, it is crucial to step up legislation and law enforcement, to hinge on the use of new technologies and allow farmers an active role.

Local governments must alter their policies to support grassland development and increase their spending on this, he said.

China now has nearly 400 million hectares of natural grassland, the second biggest in the world. However, 90 percent of its usable grassland has degraded to various extent.

Source: Xinhua