(1) Consistent observation of "The Land Law of The People's Republic of China", and implementation of methods to control the construction-use rate of land area, with non-use existing farmlands if possible, or to use as little area are as possible. Also, to reclaim the lands, again, where factories or mines were closed down.
(2) Appropriate reclamation of wasteland and stabilization of the arable land area. China has approximately 35 million hectares of wastelands that will suit farming mostly north of the 35th parallel. They are most heavily distributed over the northeast regions, then Inner Mongolia and Xinjiang, and partly some southern provinces. It is inevitable that farmlands are occasionally exploited for other purposes, as urban and rural areas develop. In an attempt to maintain a stable farmland area, however, the nation has reclaimed wastelands appropriately to supplement the lands lost for construction of cities and villages in Heilongjiang, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia, and some southern provinces or regions.
(3) Implementation of intensive management of farming, and improvement of yields per unit area of existing farmlands. China has about 65 million hectares of low productivity farmlands, which accounts for two thirds of the total farmland area. To improve production of food and economic crops further, farmlands with low productivity must be enriched, and intensive cultivation and intensive management must be instituted.
(4) Utilization of the tideland resources in the coastal areas for total development plans. Mainland China has 18,000 kilometers a coastline and as many as 2 million sq. hectares of tidal flats. As the middle region (consisting of 49 counties and cities mainly in Shanghai, Jiangsu, and Zhejiang) developed relatively early, it has attained comparatively a high reclamation level. That has helped the region make good economic progress through the planting of crops, cotton, rape-seed, sugar crops, mulberries, etc., the creation of salt pan, and farming of prawns, sea-tangle, squirting clams, etc. in freshwater. Thus, the region has been able to contribute its valuable experience in tideland resource exploitation to other areas.
