Hainan approves development of uninhabited islands

Authorities in Hainan have invited organizations and individuals to submit plans to develop uninhabited islands in the local area, according to a report by China News Service.

Islands in the South China Sea that are under the administration of Hainan Province. [File Photo: Chinanews.com]

A document issued by Hainan's provincial ocean and fisheries regulators on Wednesday details the materials that have to be submitted in order to be granted approval for a development. These include a development plan and a feasibility study report. The submission has to detail the project's potential environmental impacts, and specify how the developers plan to minimize these impacts.

Construction projects, such as ports and shipyards, can apply for leases of up to 50 years, while low-impact uses such as farming can be granted leases as short as 15 years.