2023 China's Natural Resources Bulletin Released

On February 28^thof 2024, the Ministry of Natural Resources released the 2023 China's Natural Resources Bulletin (hereinafter referred to as the Bulletin). The Bulletin shows that in 2023, the natural resources system focused on the dual responsibilities of "uniform exercise of all powers for natural resources supervision and administration as well as uniform management of national territorial spaces and natural resources", adhered to the work orientation of "strictly safeguarding the bottom line for resource security, optimizing the territorial spatial layout, promoting green and low-carbon development, and safeguarding resource and asset rights and interests". With concerted efforts and innovative initiatives, the system achieved remarkable breakthroughs and accomplishments in various tasks.

In terms of natural resources overview, the Bulletin indicates that according to the results of the 2022 national land use change survey, China has 127.58 million hectares of cultivated land, 20.11 million hectares of gardens, 283.546 million hectares of forests, 264.285 million hectares of grasslands, 23.569 million hectares of wetlands, 35.968 million hectares of land for towns, villages, and industrial and mining uses, 10.186 million hectares of land for transport, and 36.296 million hectares of land for water areas and water conservancy facilities. By the end of 2022, 173 types of mineral resources had been discovered nationwide. In 2022, China's groundwater reserves amounted to 520,985.8 billion cubic meters.

The target of protecting 186.5 million mu (one "mu" equals 0.0667 hectares) of cultivated land was achieved, safeguarding the red line for cultivated land. In 2023, the country invested 110.5 billion yuan in geological exploration, discovered 124 new non-oil and gas mineral deposits, delineated 112 prospective mining areas, and submitted 102 target areas for commercial exploration. In 2023, a total of 3,668 geological disasters occurred nationwide, with 427 geological disasters successfully predicted throughout the year, involving 5,249 potential casualties and avoiding direct economic losses of 500 million yuan.

Regarding the optimization of territorial spatial layout, the Bulletin shows that by the end of 2023, all provincial plans and the territorial spatial plan for Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps, except for the approved plans for Beijing and Shanghai in 2017, had been compiled and submitted to the State Council. Among them, the territorial spatial plans of 17 provinces, including Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Ningxia, had been approved and implemented by the State Council; the compilation of territorial spatial master plans at the county and city levels was basically completed nationwide. The annual physical examination and assessment of the implementation of national and key city planning revealed that in 2023, the areas of cultivated land and permanent basic farmland remained at over 186.5 million mu and 154.6 million mu, respectively, and the area of national ecological conservation red lines was stabilized at over 3.15 million square kilometers.

In terms of promoting green and low-carbon development, the Bulletin shows that in 2023, the supply of state-owned construction land amounted to 749,000 hectares, a year-on-year decrease of 2.1%. Throughout the year, 255,000 hectares of state-owned construction land were transferred, a year-on-year decrease of 17.1%; the transfer transaction value was 5.1 trillion yuan, a year-on-year decrease of 16.4%.

By the end of 2023, there were 12,173 existing exploration rights nationwide, with 459 new exploration rights established throughout the year, of which 367 were transferred through bidding, auction, and listing, accounting for 80% of the total transfer of exploration rights. In 2023, the implementation of 52 integrated conservation and restoration projects for mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts deployed since the 13th Five-Year Plan was deepened, covering an area of over 7.7 million hectares for ecological conservation and restoration; 175 marine ecological conservation and restoration projects were supported in coastal cities, with 1,680 kilometers of coastline and over 50,000 hectares of coastal wetlands repaired and renovated. Policies encouraged and supported social capital participation in ecological conservation and restoration. By the end of 2023, cumulative policy-based financial investments amounted to 350 billion yuan.

Regarding the safeguarding of resource and asset rights and interests, the Bulletin shows that the confirmation and registration of natural resources in key areas were advanced in an orderly manner, with the completion of the registration of natural resources for the Shanghai Chongming Dongtan Internationally Important Wetland, Wuyi Mountain, and Giant Panda National Park. The pilot programs for the confirmation and registration of natural resources in nine sea areas and 164 uninhabited islands were completed. By the end of 2023, a total of 49 key areas, including 21 nature reserves, one internationally important wetland, 26 rivers and lakes, and one mining area, had achieved registration for the first time nationwide. In 2023, 69.338 million real estate ownership certificates and 30.202 million real estate registration certificates were issued nationwide. A total of 116,000 mortgage transfer businesses were handled nationwide, involving more than 160 billion yuan in mortgages; over 1,900 counties and cities implemented the reform of "delivering certificates immediately upon land or housing delivery", issuing more than 5.2 million certificates, benefiting 56,000 projects and over 12 million enterprises and individuals.

In terms of scientific and technological innovation and international cooperation, the Bulletin shows that in 2023, the revision of standards in the field of natural resources was actively promoted, with the publication of 51 national standards and 156 industry standards, the promotion of 43 national standard projects, and the issuance of 198 industry standard plans. The registration of scientific and technological achievements was steadily carried out. In 2023, 1,226 scientific and technological achievements were registered, an increase of 47.4% compared to the previous year. A total of 3,927 patent applications were received and accepted, a year-on-year increase of 40.2%, with 3,450 patents authorized this year, a year-on-year increase of 22.7%. A total of 296 scientific and technological awards were obtained. Three individuals from the natural resources and forestry and grassland systems were newly elected academicians of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, and nine individuals were newly selected for national science and technology talent programs.

According to the 2023 national oil and gas reserve statistics bulletin, the newly discovered proven reserves of oil and gas exploration nationwide remained at a high level. The newly discovered proven geological reserves of oil exploration have been stable at over 1.2 billion tons for four consecutive years, and the combined newly discovered proven geological reserves of natural gas, shale gas, and coalbed methane have been maintained at over 1.2 trillion cubic meters for five consecutive years.

(Excerpt from the 2023 China's Natural Resources Bulletin) In 2023, the natural resources system conducted in-depth studies and implemented the thematic education of implementing the socialist ideas with Chinese characteristics for a new era. It closely focused on the dual responsibilities and adhered to the work orientation of "strictly safeguarding the bottom line for resource security, optimizing the territorial spatial layout, promoting green and low-carbon development, and safeguarding resource and asset rights and interests". With concerted efforts and innovative initiatives, the system continued to achieve new breakthroughs and accomplishments in various tasks. The "hard measures" for cultivated land protection were continuously improved, and the total amount of cultivated land nationwide increased continuously on a net basis. Efforts to increase the allocation of land, minerals, and sea resources were intensified, more effectively serving the economic recovery and improvement. The territorial spatial planning system was increasingly improved, providing stronger support for the implementation of major national strategies. The new round of the strategic action for mineral exploration breakthroughs was comprehensively promoted, making the construction of the security system for strategic mineral resources more solid. New progress was made in the construction of a marine power, accelerating the development of a new blue economy. The surveying and mapping geography and information industry accelerated its transformation and upgrading, better serving and supporting the construction of a digital China and the development of the digital economy.

The 2023 China's Natural Resources Bulletin provides a comprehensive overview of achievements and initiatives taken by the Ministry of Natural Resources. Key highlights include:

1. Natural Resources Overview

·Land Use and Ecosystems:

oCultivated land: 127.58 million hectares.

oForests: 283.546 million hectares.

oWetlands: 23.569 million hectares.

oGrasslands: 264.285 million hectares.

·Mineral Resources:

o173 types of minerals identified.

oGroundwater reserves: 520,985.8 billion cubic meters.

o124 new mineral deposits discovered in 2023.

o112 prospective mining areas delineated.

2. Territorial Spatial Layout Optimization

·Approval of territorial spatial plans for 17 provinces, ensuring efficient land use and ecological preservation.

·Stability of ecological conservation red lines covering 3.15 million square kilometers.

3. Green and Low-Carbon Development

·State-owned construction land supply: 749,000 hectares (2.1% decrease year-on-year).

·Conservation and restoration projects for ecosystems covered 7.7 million hectares.

4. Resource and Asset Rights

·Completion of registration for critical natural resources, including Shanghai's Chongming Dongtan Wetland and Giant Panda National Park.

·Issuance of over 69 million real estate certificates and more than 30 million registration certificates.

5. Scientific and Technological Advancements

·Publication of 51 national standards and 156 industry standards.

·A significant rise in patent activities, with 3,927 patent applications and 3,450 authorizations.

·Recognition in the scientific community, with new academicians and awards.

6. Oil and Gas Reserves

·Stable discovery of proven reserves:

oOil: Over 1.2 billion tons annually for four consecutive years.

oGas: Combined reserves exceeding 1.2 trillion cubic meters for five consecutive years.

7. Strategic Achievements and Initiatives

·Strengthened cultivated land protection with net growth in cultivated areas.

·Enhanced allocation of land, minerals, and sea resources to support economic recovery.

·Accelerated development of a digital economy through advancements in surveying, mapping, and geoinformation.

This bulletin underscores China's emphasis on sustainable development, innovation in resource management, and strategic actions for enhancing economic and environmental resilience.