The Chinese Minister of Land and Resources Sun Wensheng warned against illegal use of farmland in the name of building new socialist countryside, Wednesday's Economic Daily said.

The paper quoted the minister as saying that China should strengthen administration over land resources in the rural areas, and adhere to the strict protection mechanism over the farmland.

Sun urged various localities to stop illegal occupancy of farmland in the country's new strategy on rural development and required to guarantee the interests of farmers if their lands were used for other purpose.

The strategic drive of building new socialist countryside in China may result in large scale infrastructure construction in the rural areas. The ministry stressed land problems should be addressed properly.

Sun said China is promoting the reform on land resources utilization in the rural areas in a gradual way.

The government will strengthen supervision over farmland utilization and control the quantity and scope of non-farming land used in the rural areas, said Sun.

He added that the government will also tighten supervision over the compensation and allocation measures to the farmers who lost their land, so as to ensure proper interests of the farmers.

The government is also promoting an arbitration system over disputes on land compensation across the country, he said.

Source: Xinhua