China's provincial-level governments enjoy more autonomy over land use

BEIJING - China's provincial-level governments will be given more autonomy over land use, according to a resolution approved by the State Council, or China's cabinet.

Except for permanent basic farmland, governments of all provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities shall be given the right to approve the conversion of agricultural land into construction land.

A pilot program will be launched to entrust some provincial-level governments with the right to approve the conversion of permanent basic farmland into construction land.

The pilot provincial-level governments will also be entrusted with some approval rights for land expropriation which used to belong to the State Council exclusively.

The first batch of pilot provincial-level governments include Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Anhui, Guangdong and Chongqing, with a pilot period of one year.

The resolution called on the provincial-level governments to strictly examine the conversion of land that involves permanent basic farmland and natural reserves.

The provincial authorities are also asked to protect arable land, use land economically and intensively, make good use of existing land, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of farmers whose land has been expropriated.