State Council Calls for Resolutely Forbidding the Usage of Arable Land for Non-agricultural Purposes

Recently, the General Office of the State Council has issued the Circular on Resolutely Forbidding the Usage of Arable Land for Non-agricultural Purposes (the "Circular").

The Circular clearly puts forward six prohibited act of using arable land for non-agricultural purposes: firstly, strictly forbidding illegal occupation of arable land for greening and afforestation; secondly, strictly forbidding the construction of greenways beyond the standards; thirdly, strictly forbidding illegal occupation of arable land to dig lakes for landscaping; fourthly, strictly forbidding occupation of permanent basic farmlands to expand the nature reserves; fifthly, strictly forbidding illegal occupation of arable land for non-agricultural construction; and lastly, strictly forbidding illegal or irregular approval on land occupation. According to the Circular, all regions shall not circumvent the approval on occupation of permanent basic farmlands by unauthorized adjustment to the national land space plans of counties or townships. All kinds of unapproved or non-compliant occupation of arable land and permanent basic farmlands for construction projects and temporarily occupied land, shall be dealt with strictly in accordance with laws and regulations, and the original planting conditions shall be restored within a specified time. In addition, the Circular also calls for the need to conduct comprehensive inspection on protection of arable land, and include the usage of arable land for non-agricultural purposes, such as illegal occupation of permanent basic farmlands for greening and afforestation, digging lakes for landscaping and non-agricultural construction, into the assessment contents of provincial government's responsibility and target on protection of arable land.



(Source: http://www.gov.cn/zhengce/content/2020-09/15/content_5543645.htm)

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