China will resort to its tightest management yet on arable land in an effort to avoid misuse and blind investment, according to a decision issued by the State Council following a meeting held Wednesday.

The meeting, chaired by Premier Wen Jiabao, adopted the "decision of the State Council on in-depth reform concerning the most strict land management," so as to further reform and tighten the management of land.

According to the decision, development zones established contrary to the related government regulations will be revoked, and those government departments at various levels and their officials who violated land use laws will be strictly punished.

"China will spare no effort to protect the existing arable land from shrinking while working to improve the efficiency of land use in industrial and commercial projects," the decision said. "The farmland, misappropriated for other purposes, will be restored."

The government will speed up the land management reform, including improving the implementation of the relevant laws, regulations and supervision. A minimum price norm for land trading will be issued, according to the decision.

More substantial, effective efforts will be made to protect the farmers' rights for land use and to guarantee that those farmers who lose their land will be compensated. The government is speeding up the payment of such compensation, the decision said.

Whether arable land is well protected or not will a yardstick to evaluate the performance of local governments and their officials, the decision said.

(Xinhua News Agency October 14, 2004)