Shanghai, a metropolis in east China, will expand its greenbelt coverage into the suburbs to enhance local tourism resources, environment officials have said.

Major focus will be on the public areas, including parks, streets and river banks.

Both towns and villages in Shanghai will be included in the project, according to the Shanghai Greening Committee.

The committee will reward the 10 best towns and 50 best villages in Shanghai by 2010. The winners need to have a greenbelt coverage of more than 35 percent in central areas, and a ratio of more than 90 percent on their streets and river banks. The town must also have a public park bigger than 40,000 square meters and each village has to own a central greenbelt area of more than 2,000 square meters.

(Shanghai Daily June 13, 2006)