New measures to stop illegal use of farmland

Two ministries recently issued notifications prohibiting the illegal use of farmland for real estate projects and ensuring reasonable land use for the construction of houses in rural areas.

The two notifications, jointly released by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs, aim to further protect the country's farmland, said Chen Chenzhao, deputy chief inspector of the Ministry of Natural Resources.

The regulations will play a crucial role in safeguarding State security and the lives of 1.4 billion people, he said.

"Farmland protection concerns the sustainable development of land for future generations of the Chinese nation, which allows for no mistake," he said.

Chen said the illegal use of farmland for building houses is a long-standing problem that has been reported in many regions.

The regulations also cover illegal construction of mines, garages and other commercial buildings on farmland.

"These problems are usually mixed with complex relationships, such as the corruption of some public servants in rural areas," Chen said. "If these problems cannot be solved, they will severely damage the image of the Party as well as the government."

The notifications listed eight major kinds of illegal farmland use and said "no tolerance" would be shown to those activities. Chen believes the measures will significantly raise public awareness about farmland protection.

Illegal use, sale and transfer of permanent farmland covering an area of more than 0.33 hectares or ordinary farmland covering an area of more than 0.66 hectares will be subject to criminal penalties.

The notifications also said that government officials who failed to stop the illegal activities or were derelict in their duties should bear administrative responsibility in accordance with regulations and disciplines.

Government officials who granted permission for the illegal use of the farmland or land transfers that resulted in economic losses of 300,000 yuan ($42,850) or more will also be given criminal penalties.

China will establish a national territory planning system by the end of this year guided by three "red lines". The line designating permanent farmland — about 103 million hectares — aims to bolster safety, improve quality and prevent farmland from being used for other purposes.