NPC debates draft law to protect the nation's islands

• Source: Global Times
• [07:42 June 23 2009]
• Comments

Wu Bangguo (C), chairman of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC), the country's top legislature, presides over the ninth session of the Standing Committee of the 11th NPC, in Beijing, China, June 22, 2009. (Xinhua/Huang Jingwen)

By Liang Chen

China’s top legislature yesterday began debating a draft law on the ownership, ecological conservation and rational development of the nation’s 7,000 or so offshore islands. Experts interviewed by the Global Times said the new law also aims to clarify China’s “marine and island rights, as well as its obligations toward international conventions.”

The draft on the islands’ protection is under discussion for the first time by the 9th meeting of the Standing Committee of the 11th National People’s Congress that opened yesterday and runs until Saturday, the Xinhua News Agency reported yesterday.

Submitted by the NPC Environment and Resources Protection Committee (ERPC), the draft law mainly tackles the ownership of uninhabited islands (as State assets), and the ecological protection and sustainable development of marine islands.

“Many uninhabited islands have long been illegally occupied, exploited or sold by individuals and companies, and even the authorities were not allowed to disembark on them,” Wang Guangtao, chairman of the ERPC, was quoted by China News Service as saying.

Serious problems hinder the protection and development of the islands, including ecological destruction, a sharp decline in the number of islands, disorderly exploitation and even damage caused by explosions that left some islands in ruins.

“Such activities have seriously destroyed the environment on these islands and caused a great loss of State-owned resources,” Wang said.

The draft law focuses on ecological protection on the islands and sets strict limits on the construction of buildings and infrastructure, the islands’ reclamation projects and quarrying and cutting work.

Besides, the draft law includes special measures to protect islands for special use, such as for scientific research and nature reserves.

All construction projects that are contradictory to ecological conservation purposes will be banned, and vegetation and indigenous species will be strictly protected, according to the draft, Xinhua reported.