Over 60% of land use in China illegal   (Xinhua)  Updated: 2006-06-07 09:30  
China's Ministry of Land and Resources said on Tuesday that over 60 percent 
of the new land acquisitions for construction purposes in Chinese cities since 
last September are illegal. 
  The figure is even as high as 90 percent in 
some cities, said the ministry, quoting data collected from its latest check of 
land use. 
  A survey conducted by the ministry in 15 cities last year 
shows that from October 2003 to September 2005, 52.8 percent of the land 
acquisitions for construction were illegal. 
  The ministry has demanded 
its provincial counterparts expose at least three illegal cases in June and more 
than eight cases by the end of the year. 
  If they do not investigate the 
illegal cases, the local land and resources departments should be deprived of 
the power to ratify new land use, said the ministry. 
  Surging land demand 
has led to soaring investment and fast growth of fixed asset investment. 
Government statistics show that China's fixed asset investment rose 29.6 percent 
to 1.8 trillion yuan (224.7 billion U.S. dollars) in the first four months. 
  The central government has adopted administrative and financial measures 
to cap the overheated real estate sector. But the local governments did not 
strictly follow the regulations due to various considerations concerning local 
interests.   (For more biz stories, please visit Industry Updates)  
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