The State Council approved a national territorial spatial planning to be implemented in Jiangsu province, according to an official reply released on August 2.

As a guideline for the spatial development of Jiangsu province, a spatial blueprint for sustainable development, the plan will be the basis for development, protection and construction to build Jiangsu into a strong, rich, beautiful and modern province, the circular said.

According to the circular, by 2035, the total amount of cultivated land in Jiangsu province will reach no less than 59.77 million mu, of which the protection area of permanent basic farmland will be no less than 53.44 million mu.

Meanwhile, the circular stressed that the red line for ecological protection shall not be less than 18,200 square kilometers, of which marine ecological protection shall not be less than 9,500 square kilometers.

The circular also prohibited sea reclamation except for the purpose of major national projects and called for strict management over islands without inhabitants.

To underpin new development patterns, the circular also stressed implementing the strategies in coordinated regional development, functional zones, and the new urbanization and other major regional strategies.

Measures will be taken to enable Jiangsu to be deeply integrated into the Shanghai metropolitan area, play a leading role in the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta and in the high-quality development of the Yangtze River Economic Belt, and build it into a strategic pivot of both domestic and international cycles, according to the circular.

The pattern of territorial spatial development and protection will be optimized, said the circular, adding that the whole river basin system such as Taihu Lake and Hongze Lake will be improved, while important coastal wetlands in such areas as the coast of northern Jiangsu and the Yangtze River estuary will be protected.

While protecting and utilizing island resources and promoting sustainable marine development, work will be done to strengthen the spatial coordination of infrastructure for water conservancy, transportation, energy, environment, communications and national defense, so as to build a modern infrastructure network.

The protection of cultural and natural heritages and world cultural heritage sites is also stressed in the circular.