China to optimize land use, boost resource efficiency in 2026: minister

China will advance a series of measures to optimize spatial planning, innovate resource allocation and address grassroots needs as it embarks on the 15th Five-Year Plan (2026-2030) period, Minister of Natural Resources Guan Zhi'ou said Thursday.

Guan outlined the ministry's priorities for the new five-year plan, emphasizing a balanced approach between high-quality development and high-level protection, during a group interview after the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing.

"First, we will focus on optimizing spatial planning. We will strengthen implementation of the main functional zone strategy, further refine and optimize functional zoning, and improve supporting policies. We will support localities in developing unique strengths and distinctive industries, leveraging their comparative advantages to contribute to high-quality development," Guan said.

The minister emphasized the need for dynamic monitoring and realistic assessment of territorial spatial plans. He stressed the importance of firmly upholding the three red lines for farmland, ecological protection, and urban development boundaries to ensure national food and ecological security, and to prevent disorderly urban sprawl.

"Second, we will focus on innovating resource allocation. We will proactively adapt to new changes and new needs. In conjunction with ongoing urban renewal initiatives and comprehensive land improvement, we will work from multiple angles to revitalize idle land, factory buildings and other existing resources. We will press ahead with full force to turn existing resources into new drivers of growth and energize economic growth," Guan said.

To support key projects in the 15th Five-Year Plan, he called for the establishment of a spatial planning permitting system that enables coordinated approval for land, forest, grassland, sea, and mineral use. This would significantly shorten approval timelines and accelerate project implementation.

Guan also highlighted the need to strengthen and optimize incremental resources in oceans, forests, grasslands, minerals, and geographic information, creating new space for entrepreneurship and employment to ensure stable incomes for the people.

"Third, we will focus on delivering tangible benefits for grassroots communities. We will put ourselves in the shoes of the people, provide proactive services, continue field visits and on-site support in designated areas, and move promptly to resolve problems. In particular, we will introduce stronger and more people-centered policies," he said.

He urged officials to listen to and heed grassroots voices, take proactive steps to address local challenges, and accelerate the progress of inter-provincial real estate registration. He also called for pragmatic solutions to historical issues such as conflicts between forest and farmland use, so that enterprises and the people can have a stronger sense of gain and happiness.

Noting that Thursday marks the 48th National Tree Planting Day, Guan said the ministry, as a key force in building a Beautiful China, will carry forward the mission with determination. He emphasized the commitment to integrated protection and systematic governance of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands and deserts, while advancing key projects including the Three-North Shelterbelt Program.

China to optimize land use, boost resource efficiency in 2026: minister

China will strive to further reduce the number of heavy pollution days and improve water quality in rural areas during the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-2030), Minister of Ecology and Environment Huang Runqiu said on Thursday.

While meeting the press following the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC), Huang outlined the main tasks of pollution control during the 2026-2030 period.

Although the national average proportion of heavy pollution days has dropped to less than one percent last year, said Huang, during autumn and winter seasons, such weather events still occasionally occur in certain regions, including the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region and surround areas, as well as urban clusters in the middle reaches of the Yangtze River.

Therefore, reducing the number of heavy pollution days will continue to be a major task for relevant authorities, he said.

"An important goal of pollution prevention and control during the 15th Five-Year Plan period is to continue reducing the number of heavy pollution days. We are quite confident in achieving this. We will adhere to the approaches of systematic and source-based management, addressing both symptoms and root causes, with a focus on the latter. In particular, we will seize the favorable opportunities brought by advancing the goal of peaking carbon emissions during the 15th Five-Year Plan period and the promulgation of the Ecological and Environmental Code today to promote green and low-carbon development of our industrial, energy, and transportation structures, as well as the development of new quality productive forces. Our fundamental solution is to reduce pollutant emissions at the source," he said.

Water quality improvement is another major task, according to Huang.

Over the years, China has seen significant progress in managing the water quality in major rivers and lakes, but in rural areas and urban-rural fringe areas, pollution problems, like black and odorous waters, remain quite prominent in small and micro water bodies, he said, adding that these pollution sources near people's homes may seem minor, they are actually directly related to the well-being of the people.

"This year, we will introduce relevant documents to deepen water pollution control, shifting our focus and efforts further towards rural areas, urban-rural fringe areas, and counties. At the same time, we'll set up over 200 national-level monitoring sites and a number of monitoring sites at the provincial level, in order to help local authorities to better manage small and micro water bodies," said Huang.

China will strive to further improve air, water quality in following five years: minister