China sets plan to optimize land use, curb urban sprawl: Minister of Natural Resources

China plans to strengthen dynamic monitoring of territorial space planning, transform existing resources into new growth drivers, and promote high-quality development, Minister of Natural Resources Guan Zhiou said Thursday.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period (2026-30), the country will optimize spatial layouts and implement key functional zoning strategies, Guan said in a ministers' passage interview following the closing meeting of the fourth session of the 14th National People's Congress. Favorable policies will support regions in leveraging local advantages to drive high-quality development.

"China will conduct dynamic monitoring of territorial space planning and adopt a fact-based approach to its evaluation and optimization, with a special focus on upholding and safeguarding the three red lines for farmland protection, ecological protection, and urban development boundaries. This aims to ensure national food and ecological security and prevent 'pancake-style' disorderly urban expansion," he said.

To improve resource allocation, Guan said the ministry will implement an integrated approval process for the use of land, forests, grasslands, seas, and minerals, enhancing administrative efficiency. In line with ongoing urban renewal initiatives, idle land and abandoned factories will be repurposed to develop new forms of business, transforming existing resources into new drivers of growth and promoting high-quality economic development.

Guan also emphasized addressing practical issues at the grassroots level. This includes interprovincial processing of real estate registration and resolving historical conflicts between farmland and forest land. These measures aim to give the public a greater sense of gain and happiness, he said.

"We will remain committed to the holistic conservation and systematic management of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts, take coordinated steps to advance key ecological projects including the Three-North Shelterbelt Forest Program, … and write a new chapter of lucid waters and lush mountains," Guan said.