Authorities expose eight cases of illegal land use and ecological damage

China's natural resources and forestry authorities jointly unveiled eight typical cases of illegal activities identified in the fourth quarter of last year. They urged local departments to learn from these cases, adhere strictly to the red lines for farmland protection and ecological conservation, and comply with regulations to promote high-quality development.

The cases, reported by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the National Forestry and Grassland Administration on Wednesday, involve illegal arable land occupation, violations of territorial space planning, and ecological damage caused by deforestation and grassland degradation.

In one case from Xiqing district, Tianjin, a stud farm was found to have illegally altered the designated agricultural use of land without authorization. They constructed equestrian competition venues, accommodation, and catering facilities to commence business operations. The project occupied 5.33 hectares of land, with around 60 percent being permanent arable land. Despite law enforcement supervision identifying and notifying the company of these violations in 2024 and 2025, the company failed to implement effective rectification measures.

Other cases include the occupation of 14.4 hectares of permanent basic farmland for commercial sod production in Wanzhou district, Chongqing, and the extraction of around 90,000 cubic meters of soil from farmland for shale-fired brick production in Mengjin district in Luoyang, Henan province.

The authorities exposed these cases as a warning against compromising China's food security and ecological stability for short-term gains. They also emphasized their commitment to monitoring rectification progress and intensifying cross-departmental collaborations to safeguard national resource security.