Live Coverage from the Two Sessions | Minister of Natural Resources Wang Guanghua: China will firmly uphold the red line for arable land and promote green development.

Release Date:

2023-03-13

　BEIJING, March 12 (Xinhua) — By reporters Wang Libin and Xu Ke: At the third “Ministerial Passage” session of the First Meeting of the 14th National People’s Congress on the 12th, Minister of Natural Resources Wang Guanghua addressed pressing issues, stating that China will firmly uphold the red line for arable land, ensure the security of mineral resources, and promote green development.

　　 On March 12, the First Session of the 14th National People’s Congress held its third “Ministerial Passage” press conference. Pictured is Wang Guanghua, Minister of Natural Resources, being interviewed by the media. Photo by Xinhua News Agency reporter Jin Haoyuan.

　　Wang Guanghua stated that the targets of safeguarding 1.865 billion mu of arable land and 1.546 billion mu of permanent basic farmland must remain unchanged through 2035. At the same time, it is essential to optimize land‑use planning and, through incentive and penalty mechanisms, encourage certain southern provinces to orderly restore some of the high‑quality arable land they have lost, thereby curbing the escalating trend of “grain from the north being shipped south.” Furthermore, new conversions of arable land must be strictly controlled, with full implementation of the “balance between occupation and replenishment” and “in‑out balance” principles. Existing arable land should be revitalized through a “linkage between increase and stock,” leveraging existing resources to generate new acreage, substituting underground for aboveground development, and exchanging capital and technology for additional space. Finally, accountability must be firmly enforced, with both Party and government sharing responsibility and lifelong accountability, while maintaining zero tolerance for illegal land use.

　　Wang Guanghua stated that China’s dependence on foreign sources for several key minerals remains high, while demand for new‑energy and new‑material minerals is growing rapidly, necessitating strengthened domestic mineral exploration and development. This year, a new round of strategic initiatives to achieve breakthroughs in mineral exploration will be launched across the board, with a focus on scarce and strategically important minerals to boost reserves and production. At the same time, policies to encourage private‑sector investment will be refined to attract more mining enterprises, enabling them to identify and develop high‑quality, large‑scale deposits.

　　The Government Work Report calls for the continued implementation of major projects to protect and restore vital ecosystems. Wang Guanghua stated that, building on the five national parks already established—including Sanjiangyuan—this year will see focused efforts to establish a new batch of national parks, such as those in the Yellow River Estuary, the Qinling Mountains, Ruoergai, Changtang, and the Asian Elephant Habitat. At the same time, legislation for the National Parks Law will be advanced, and the Regulations on Nature Reserves and the Regulations on Scenic and Historic Areas will be revised. Additionally, another series of “China’s Mountains-and-Waters Projects” will be launched in key ecological function zones, including the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, the Yangtze River, and the Yellow River. Efforts to protect and restore coastlines and coastal zones will also continue, addressing pressing issues such as the degradation of coastal wetlands, shoreline retreat, and the invasion of alien species.

[Editor-in-charge: Xu Haizhi]

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