Land Law Must Be Strictly Observed: LawmakerChina should observe the land law strictly so as to protect arable land, said a senior Chinese lawmaker Friday."Land is an indispensable to everyone. China is definitely short of land with a large population," said Zou Jiahua, vice- chairman of the Standing Committee of China's National People's Congress, the country's top lawmaking body. "We should adopt a sustainable development strategy and improve efficiency in land exploitation," he said at a gathering of painters and calligraphers with the theme of valuing land and protection resources. He suggested any illegal use of cultivated land be severely punished. The senior lawmaker also called for more publicity on Law of Land Management which was adopted on January 1, 1999. China has 130.7 million hectares of cultivated land, roughly 0. 1 hectare per person on average. Some local governments tend to sacrifice land for short-term economic benefits by launching more construction projects. |
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