The Central Committee of the Communist Party of China ("CPCCC") and the State Council have recently distributed the Several Opinions on Establishing the Spatial Planning System for National Land and Supervising Its Implementation (the "Opinions").
The Opinions clearly state that the level-to-level spatial planning for national land should be created by category and all levels of overall spatial plans for national land should have clear priorities. The Opinions note that the guiding and restraint role of special plans should be enhanced, adding that special plans for costal zones and natural reserves, and spatial plans for national land that runs across multiple administrative regions or river basins should be prepared under the leadership of competent authorities of natural resources of the administrative regions involved or by the competent authorities of natural resources at the next higher level, and be submitted to the governments at the same level for examination and approval. Special plans for specific fields that involve spatial utilization, such as for transport, energy, and infrastructure, and other special plans for public service facilities and eco-environmental protection should be prepared under the leadership of relevant competent authorities. And then more detailed plans at or below the city or county level should be worked out. Furthermore, the Opinions call for, under the principle that agencies in charge of granting approval shall also shoulder the responsibility for regulation, developing the examination and record-filing system for spatial plans for national land according to their levels. Also, the dynamic monitoring, evaluation and early-warning mechanism and the implementation supervision mechanism should be established and constantly improved for spatial plans for national land.