China has posted a net increase in total area of arable land for three consecutive years, owing to the country's persistent protection of arable land, said the vice minister of natural resources in Beijing on Thursday.
Since 2021, the total area of the country's farmland has expanded by 17.58 million mu (about 1.17 million hectares), vice minister Liu Guohong said at a press conference.
Notably, in 2023, provinces in south China saw a net increase of 7.39 million mu (about 492,667 hectares), addressing the issue of arable land increasing in the north while decreasing in the south.
Liu attributed the significant achievement to the country's sustained efforts to focus on farmland as the lifeline of grain production, improved measures in carrying out reforms, and an accountability mechanism regarding farmland protection.
"Targeting new challenges in arable land protection, we have managed all farmland repurposed for other uses in a unified manner under the system for offsetting cultivated land, and strengthened dynamic balance over provincial gross arable land. Concurrently, we have improved the economic rewards and penalties mechanism for farmland protection, to ensure that areas protecting arable land do not suffer losses and that farmers who protect farmland receive tangible benefits," he said.
Concurrently, China has continuously promoted land saving, intensive and efficient application, and orderly pushed reforms for market-based transfers of rural collective land designated for business construction to make good use of rural land assets.
The country has also strictly controlled the scale of construction land.
Since 2012, the area of construction land per unit of GDP has slumped by 45 percent, effectively meeting urban and rural development needs.
China sees net increase in total arable land area for three consecutive years
Chinese Vice Premier Ding Xuexiang called for enhanced bilateral cooperation and friendship with Singapore when he met with Singaporean Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong in southwest China's Chongqing Municipality on Monday.
Ding, who is also a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee, said that the long-term and stable development of China-Singapore relations has benefited from the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, who have upheld the correct political direction.
The two sides should continue to enhance mutual trust, respect each other's core interests, and ensure the steady and sustained progress of their friendly relations and mutually beneficial cooperation, he said.
Gan said that Singapore highly values its relations with China, firmly upholds the one-China principle, opposes the secessionist forces in Taiwan, and is willing to maintain close exchanges with China at all levels to promote greater development of bilateral relations.
Ding and Gan co-chaired four China-Singapore mechanism meetings on bilateral cooperation, namely, the 21st meeting of the China-Singapore Joint Council for Bilateral Cooperation, the 26th meeting of the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park Joint Steering Council, the 17th meeting of the China-Singapore Tianjin Eco-City Joint Steering Council, and the ninth meeting of the China-Singapore (Chongqing) Demonstration Initiative on Strategic Connectivity Joint Steering Council.
They comprehensively reviewed and summarized the progress of practical cooperation between the two countries, clarifying the direction and priorities for cooperation in the next stage.
Both sides agreed to deepen the alignment of development plans, promote the upgrading of major projects, cultivate and strengthen new quality productive forces, jointly safeguard the multilateral trading system, and better promote the development of both countries and the prosperity and stability of the region.
Following the meetings, Ding and Gan witnessed together the exhibition of achievements in China-Singapore cooperation, and attended the launching ceremony of two freight trains under the China-Singapore Multi-modal Demonstration Project. They also visited the comprehensive exhibition hall of China-Singapore interconnectivity projects and Chongqing digital city operation and governance center.
At the invitation of Ding, Gan is on a visit to China from December 15 to 16.
Chinese vice premier calls for enhanced cooperation with Singapore
