Recently, an elucidation and training session on policies and measures for securing land use in rural revitalization across the province was held. During this session, a relevant leading official from the Sichuan Provincial Department of Natural Resources delivered an in-depth interpretation of the Guidelines on Land Use Policies in Rural Revitalization in Sichuan Province (2024) (hereinafter referred to as the Guidelines), which were issued in May.
The Guidelines represent Sichuan's first toolkit tailored specifically for land use policies related to rural revitalization. What are the highlights of this document? How will it enhance land use guarantee for local rural revitalization initiatives?
What is included in the toolkit?
It integrates and consolidates various policies, covering the entire process and all scenarios of land use in rural areas.
In recent years, to support the implementation of the rural revitalization strategy, the Ministry of Natural Resources has issued a sequence of documents and policy measures. Taking into account local conditions, Sichuan has introduced corresponding policies and measures for implementation. While these policies and measures offer support and assurance for land use in rural revitalization, the abundance of documents and fragmented provisions have resulted in many localities being unfamiliar with or not fully grasping such rural land use guarantee policies during practical implementation.
"To address this, we have compiled and issued the Guidelines, which further systematize and refine the land use policies for rural revitalization, forming a policy toolkit to guide such land use," explained a relevant leading official from the National Land and Space Use Regulation Division under the Provincial Department of Natural Resources. The Guidelines integrate relevant laws, regulations, and policy documents issued by the state and the province in recent years, including eight laws, five regulations, 122 policy documents, and 16 negative lists for land use in rural revitalization, the official added.
The Guidelines comprise 11 sections and 57 articles, centering on summarizing and organizing aspects related to land use in rural revitalization, including land use strategizing management, land use plan management, and land use and supply. The reporter observed that the Guidelines emphasize the entire process and all scenarios of rural land use. Structured in a format that merges entries and lists, the Guidelines cover the complete land use chain, starting from front-end planning management and land quota allocation to the control and approval requirements for three types of land use, namely, protected agricultural land, rural homesteads, and other rural construction land, and further encompassing real estate registration at the back end of the chain. This structure forms a comprehensive and user-friendly "policy treasure box" for rural revitalization land use. Take the homestead land policy section as an example. The toolkit organizes related policies that cover the entire lifecycle, including the application, approval, completion acceptance of rural housing, real estate registration, and withdrawal of homesteads. This structure makes it easier for business personnel and the general public to navigate and understand.
What is the purpose of the toolkit?
It addresses bottlenecks and difficulties, facilitating the effective and flexible application of land policies.
"Based on preliminary research, we have identified the common challenges faced by primary levels regarding rural land use guarantee, such as difficulties in site selection, challenges in quota assurance, and confusion about policies," explained the leading official from the Department of Natural Resources. Although some policy channels are open and smooth, there is an information asymmetry. "The Guidelines target land use challenges and policy focal points, aiming to help localities effectively and flexibly employ relevant land policies," the official said.
The annual land use plan is a primary concern for localities. The Guidelines summarize supportive policies related to land use quota assurance. For example, when drafting the annual land use plan at the city and county levels, it is recommended that at least 5 percent of the new construction land use quotas be allocated to prioritize land use for key rural industries and projects.
Recent years have seen a substantial rise in the scale and demand for protected agricultural land. Previously, in local practice, there have been instances of confusion between construction land projects and protected agriculture land projects. In response, the Guidelines dedicate a special chapter to sort out policies concerning the scope, scale, site selection, application, and record management of protected agricultural land, as well as clarify various aspects in this regard, such as the types of protected agricultural land projects, to help localities distinctly differentiate between the scenarios of protected agricultural land use and construction land use.
It is worth mentioning that while emphasizing land use guarantee, the Guidelines also adhere strictly to bottom-line requirements, implementing the strictest possible system for the protection of farmland, the eco-environmental conservation system, and the economical and intensive land use system. The Guidelines enumerate 26 common scenarios of illegal land occupation and farmland destruction in rural areas, along with corresponding penalties, in both the main text and appendix. The document also clarifies the negative list for land use in rural revitalization, such as strictly prohibiting urban residents from purchasing rural homesteads and outlining the Eight Prohibitions for illegal occupation of arable land for housing construction in rural areas.
