The total land area in China ranks the third in the world and the per capita land area is 0.777 hectare, about one third of the world average figure. The per capita arable land is 0.106 hectare, being 43% of the world average figure. The quality of the arable land in our country is not good on the whole. There are almost six million hectares of steep slope land over 25 degrees in the whole country. The arable land with water sources and irrigation facilities only accounts for 40% and the medium and low yield arable land accounts for 79% of the arable land.

 

In 1999, the arable land in the whole country reduced by 842,000 hectares, among which non-agriculture construction occupied 205,000 hectares, accounting for 24.4% of the decreased areas of arable land in the year; the ecological restoration of the arable land was 395,000 hectares, accounting for 46.9%; the agriculture restructuring occupied 107,000 hectares of arable land, accounting for 12.7%; and the arable land destroyed by natural disasters was 135,000 hectares, accounting for 16.0%.

In 1999, the arable land increased by 405,000 hectares through exploration, sorting and rehabilitation. Taking the difference of increase and decrease of arable land into consideration, the net decrease was 437,000 hectares. Compared with 261,000 hectares of the arable land reduced in 1998, the net decrease of arable land in 1999 increased by 175,000 hectares. The main reason for that is the ecological restoration of the arable land area increased significantly.

Overall Guideline of Land Use in the Whole Country from 1997 - 2010 was implemented. Overall Guideline of Land Use in the Whole Country from 1997 - 2010 was ratified and put into implementation by the State Council on 2 April 1999. Among the 112 provincial and prefecture municipal land use overall programs that should be ratified by the State Council according to the regulations, 59 of them were ratified by the State council.

To Implement the Land Policy of "To Compensate One for Occupying One" In order to implement the policy of "To Compensate One for Occupying One", active work was conducted to clean up the land and there were lots of newly increased arable land. The additional arable land is two times higher than that occupied by the construction. In 1999, the number of the provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) with balance of occupying and compensating arable land increased from 17 ones in 1998 to 24 ones.

Land Market Established In 1999, the total land remised added up to 300,000 hectares and the remising fee collected was 400 billion yuan. The land assets have played an important role in the national economic construction. The transfer, lease and mortagage of land use rights are quite active.

Annual Review of Land Certificate In 1999, annual review of land certificates was conducted in 31 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) in the whole country. The number of land certificates issued in the whole country was 2.3 million, which have protected the legal rights and interests of the land users.

Legislation Construction Improved In 1999, the State Council ratified and enacted Measures of Reviewing Construction Land, Management Measures of Annual Land Utilization Plan, Management Measures of Reviewing, Submitting Report and Ratifying Construction Land, Measures of Dealing with the Unused Land, Management Measures of Collection and Use of Utilization Fee of Newly Increased Constructed Land.

(to be continued)