China to Crack Down on Illegal Land DealingsThe Ministry of Land and Resources recently issued a circular urging local land and resources departments to curb rampant illegal land dealings.The circular was based on investigations conducted by officials sent by the ministry in the three provinces of Hunan, Hubei and Zhejiang and Chongqing Municipality. Investigators found that local land and resources departments have violated disciplinary laws. Incomplete statistics show that in the past six years, local land and resources departments across the country were involved in 1,822 criminal or disciplinary cases, with 480 officials punished according to the law. Many of the cases were uncovered in developed areas, mainly in the eastern and coastal provinces. Leading land officials were often implicated in the cases, abusing their powers to feather their own nests. |
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