China advances 'one-map' system to boost sustainable development

The Ministry of Natural Resources has reserved land-use spaces for more than 2,800 major projects as it promotes the joint development and sharing of a "one-map" system for territorial spatial planning.

In a news conference organized by the State Council Information Office on Tuesday, Liu Guohong, Party chief of the ministry, also said the system has supported the growth of industries related to mineral resources, marine resources, forestry and grassland resources, and geographic information.

From January to August, the transaction value of mining exploration rights increased 133.5 percent year-on-year, Liu said. The investment in the exploration of non-oil-and-gas minerals rose 8.1 percent in the first half of the year.

The marine economy also maintained strong growth, he continued. During the first eight months, new orders for marine vessels increased 83.7 percent year-on-year, while the value of new orders for marine engineering equipment surged 160.8 percent.

In a move to improve and better utilize the "one-map" system, the ministry will strive to better coordinate natural resources, national land space, and ecosystems, taking an integrated approach to scientific protection, systematic governance, and rational utilization, he said.

Through these efforts, he said the ministry is gradually moving away from managing land use types based on individual resources and separate stages toward systematic, full-chain functional control and spatial governance of national land space.

All of the work is aimed at better supporting high-quality development through the safe, efficient, and sustainable use of natural resources, he stressed.