Sea areas authorized by the Chinese government for enclosures
and land reclamation projects now cover 540 square kilometers, 134
square kilometers of which were certified last year, the China News
Service reported on Friday.
Wang Dianchang, a senior official with the State Oceanic
Administration (SOA), said that the majority of coastal provinces
in China have laid out similar projects in their development plans
up through 2010.
China has earmarked the areas primarily for the country's key
industrial projects, such as ports, wharves, power plants, and
steel factories, while limiting sea area use to industries that the
country aims to gradually phase out, He Dong, another official of
the SOA, said.
He said the government will continue to strictly control its
approval for sea area use in order to prevent overexpansion of land
reclamation projects.
Rapid economic growth in coastal areas inevitably brought about
land shortages, prompting a demand for land reclamation. Early
reports say such activities have caused great damage to the ocean
environment.
A regulation issued by the government in October 2006 regarding
the protection of marine environments from construction pollution
stipulates that projects involving sea enclosures and land
reclamation will not be approved unless hearings are held and the
projects are thoroughly discussed.
(CRI February 16, 2007)