(Yicai Global) Dec. 24 -- To better safeguard marine resources, the Chinese government will suspend new land reclamation projects and further bolster the protection and repair of coastlines, a Chinese official said today.

He Lifeng, chairman of China's National Development and Reform Commission, said this today during his work report to the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress on China's maritime construction.

The country has enforced strict regulation of land reclamation projects since 2013. Rules issued that year banned real estate development through land reclamation and centralized the power of approving corresponding projects in the national government, leaving provinces without any say in these projects.

China will implement the strictest regulatory measures on reclaiming land, comprehensively suspend the acceptance and approval of new projects, except for those of major national strategic importance, strengthen the protection and repair of coastlines and optimize the development and layouts of littoral areas. 

The country will also actively cope with the issue of marine garbage and plastics and improve the emergency response capability for pollution incidents in major marine areas, He noted.

The Chinese government's harder line on polder has induced a clearly descending trend in its total amount. The area of land reclaimed nationwide in 2013 was 15,413 hectares, and this has gradually fallen each year since, with the annual decline 22 percent on average. Last year's drop was 5, 779 hectares, down 63 percent from 2013. 

Reclamation nationwide dropped nearly 42 percent from that within the five years preceding 2013.

Editor: Ben Armour