labels: economy - general
China cuts its economic development zones by over 80 per centnews
20 April 2007

Mumbai: China, which pioneered the concept of economic development zones, has cut the number of such zones from 6,866 in 2003 to 1,568 at the end of last year in a bid to curb wastage of arable land and protect farmers' interests.

China's economic development zones now cover an area of 9,949 sq km against 38,600 sq km, officials with the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), the country's top planning body, said.

"The State Council (the Chinese cabinet) prohibits the building of new economic development zones and expanding the existing ones," Xinhua news agency quoted an NDRC official as saying.

Over the past four years, the Chinese authorities have either integrated or merged adjacent economic development zones, leaving only one in every county or in the outer suburbs of each city.

These zones have been removed from environmentally sensitive areas, such as water source protection areas, nature reserves, scenic spots, forest parks and wetlands. Restrictions have also been imposed on building chemical, paper making and pharmaceutical plants upstream or upwind of residential areas.

China began to cut back on its economic development zones in July 2003 because they were eating up too much arable land and damaging farmers' interests.

China's rapidly growing economy has also resulted in widespread pollution problems. Earlier this week, state media reported that about 450 people, including 135 school students, were hospitalised in southwest China after a fertilizer plant discharged sulfur dioxide.

The government also announced that it will spend RMB 16.5 billion during the 11th five-year-plan (2006-2010) to protect and restore its wetlands, which are affected by pollution, ecological degradation and dwindling water resources.


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China cuts its economic development zones by over 80 per cent