Notice of the Shandong Provincial Department of Natural Resources on Issuing Several Policy Measures to Strengthen the Guarantee of Natural Resource Factors and Support High-Quality Economic Development

I. Adhering to a demand-driven approach and continuously strengthening support from natural resource factors.

1. Strengthen planning safeguards during the transitional period. Strive to complete the preparation and submission for approval of provincial, municipal, and county-level territorial spatial master plans by the end of June. During the interim period prior to the official approval of these master plans, construction projects that comply with the delineation results of the “Three Zones and Three Lines” and the regulatory requirements of territorial spatial planning shall have their planning space fully secured through a mechanism of pre‑allocating planned land use. For projects that exceed the scope of the previous land‑use master plan, urban–rural planning, or marine functional zoning, the people’s government at or above the county level where the project is located shall attach maps committing to incorporate such projects into the ongoing territorial spatial plan and the “One Map” system, which will serve as the basis for planning review when applying for land and sea use.

2. Advance allocation of newly added land-use quotas to ensure project implementation. Prior to the State’s formal issuance of the 2023 rules for allocating new land-use quotas, infrastructure projects, public‑service initiatives, and key projects that comply with industrial and land‑supply policies, have secured investment, and can commence construction immediately upon acquiring land may, while adhering to principles of economical and intensive land use and in accordance with laws and regulations, obtain advance approval of land‑use procedures. There shall be no limit on the amount of such advance allocations, which will be uniformly accounted for by year‑end in compliance with relevant national provisions.

3. Implement a reward system for the approval of land use for major infrastructure projects. For major infrastructure projects in transportation, energy, water conservancy, and other sectors that have obtained land-use approval in 2023, the provincial level will grant a certain proportion of land-use quota as a reward for compliant newly added construction land: 10% for projects approved by the State Council and 5% for those approved by the provincial government. These quotas will be allocated directly to the county (city or district) where the project is located.

4. Coordinate and implement the balance between occupied and replenished farmland. Allocate annual farmland‑replenishment targets, accelerate implementation, and promptly generate a pool of usable indicators. For eligible major construction projects, applications may be submitted, in accordance with relevant regulations of the Ministry of Natural Resources, to fulfill the farmland‑balance requirement through a commitment‑based approach. Support localities in ensuring that key projects have access to the necessary farmland‑replenishment indicators for land‑use approval by means such as borrowing or paid reallocation.

5. Strengthen forest‑use guarantees for key projects. Adhere to a tiered, coordinated approach, balancing conservation with controlled development; make full use of the nationally allocated quotas and actively seek additional national reserve quotas. Forest use for infrastructure construction, public‑service, and livelihood‑related projects shall be fully secured, and timely arrangements shall be made for temporary forest‑land‑use projects.

6. Increase the supply of sand and gravel resources. This year, at least 40 new mining rights for sand and gravel will be granted, with an aim to reach 50, adding 100 million tons of new production capacity. For mining rights related to major projects, critical infrastructure initiatives, and key public‑interest undertakings, procedures for granting rights and processing registration approvals will be expedited to ensure prompt commissioning and operational effectiveness.

II. Uphold conservation and intensive use, and continue to promote the efficient utilization of natural resources.

8. Explore the implementation of a pre-registration system for the transfer of land-use rights for construction purposes. For transfers of land-use rights obtained through assignment, where the total development investment has not yet reached 25% of the prescribed level, in accordance with the principle of “invest first, then transfer,” the parties to the transaction may enter into a transfer agreement. Following filing with the municipal or county natural resources authorities, they may apply for pre-registration of the real estate transfer. Once the total development investment reaches the statutory threshold for transfer, the formal registration of the real estate transfer shall be processed in compliance with the law.

9. Improve land supply mechanisms. Deeply advance the “standard land” supply model, ensuring that 100% of industrial land in key areas—including the China (Shandong) Pilot Free Trade Zone (Jinan, Qingdao, Yantai), all sub‑zones of the China–Shanghai Cooperation Organization Demonstration Zone for Local Economic and Trade Cooperation (Qingdao), and provincial‑level or higher economic and technological development zones (parks), high‑tech industrial development zones, and the Jinan New‑Old Kinetic Energy Conversion Pilot Zone—is allocated under the “standard land” framework. Promote flexible land‑supply arrangements such as long‑term leases, lease‑then‑transfer, combined lease‑and‑transfer, and flexible‑term transfers. On the premise of ensuring a fair, just, and transparent land market, advance the conditional tendering, auction, and listing of industrial land for transfer (or lease); local authorities may incorporate industry‑specific准入 requirements—such as sector type, production technology, and energy‑saving and environmental‑protection standards—into the conditions for land allocation.

10. Encourage the enhancement of existing land-use efficiency. Subject to compliance with planning regulations and ensuring structural safety, land users may, upon lawful approval, increase land utilization through measures such as adding floors to factory buildings, renovating industrial sites, and reorganizing internal land parcels. Provided that such measures remain consistent with the approved plan and do not alter the designated land use, no additional land fees shall be levied on existing industrial land when its utilization rate is increased or its floor area ratio is raised.

11. Accelerate the revitalization and efficient utilization of existing construction land. Intensify efforts to address land that has been approved but remains undeveloped, as well as idle land. Deeply advance the redevelopment of inefficient urban land, encouraging a variety of development models—including government acquisition and redevelopment, redevelopment by original land-use right holders, redevelopment by former rural collective economic organizations, and redevelopment by market entities—to stimulate proactive engagement at all levels.

12. Accelerate the resolution of longstanding issues related to land reclamation. Thoroughly carry out the centralized filing of disposal plans for “unapproved but already reclaimed” cases, striving to obtain approval from the Ministry of Natural Resources by the end of March. Revitalize and make effective use of historically reclaimed areas, giving priority to securing marine space for major projects and public‑interest initiatives.

III. Uphold both principled adherence and innovative approaches, and continuously enhance the effectiveness of natural resource services.

14. Land use applications for major infrastructure projects may be reviewed on a “deficiency‑tolerant” basis. For such projects that have not yet obtained approval for forest‑land use, have not yet secured equivalent farmland‑replenishment arrangements, or have not yet received the required opinion confirming that the occupation of ecological red‑line areas is unavoidable, their land‑use applications may be accepted despite missing certain prerequisites—provided that related approval procedures are pursued concurrently and completed prior to submission to the provincial government for review or approval—so that the land‑use review can proceed in advance.

15. Optimize marine‑use approval services. For multiple projects whose sites are located within contiguous, historically reclaimed land‑reclamation areas, all of which fall under the provincial government’s approval jurisdiction, a consolidated marine‑use feasibility study may be conducted, with marine use rights allocated on a project‑by‑project basis. For provincial‑government‑approved marine‑use projects that utilize previously reclaimed land without any additional reclamation, the completion‑acceptance survey report may be submitted concurrently with the marine‑use application; the marine‑use feasibility study and the completion‑acceptance survey report will be reviewed jointly. Upon successful completion of the acceptance inspection, and following approval of the project’s marine use and full payment of the marine‑use fee, a direct notice of compliance shall be issued for the reclamation completion‑acceptance application.

16. Streamline the approval process for major projects that encroach upon scenic and historic areas. For projects listed in the national and provincial catalogs of major construction projects, as well as key infrastructure, public‑service, and national defense projects that involve national‑level scenic and historic areas, applications may be submitted based on the approved master plans for these areas—subject to the consent of the provincial government and pending national approval—provided they do not contravene applicable prohibitive regulations. For projects involving provincial‑level scenic and historic areas, and again without violating relevant prohibitive provisions, the competent authorities of the relevant prefecture‑level cities shall prepare detailed plans or specialized feasibility study reports, which, upon approval by the Provincial Department of Natural Resources, will serve as the basis for processing the necessary procedures.

17. Enhancing real estate registration service capabilities. At the city and county levels, a “one‑code‑to‑link” system has been established for real estate units, enabling end-to‑to‑end lifecycle management and application across all stages—land acquisition, planning, construction, acceptance inspection, tax and fee payment, real estate registration, and transfer of water, electricity, gas, and heating services—thus supporting “certificate issuance upon land handover,” “certificate issuance upon acceptance inspection,” and “certificate issuance upon property handover.” Leveraging the provincial real estate registration “One‑Stop Online Service” platform, enterprises can access fully online processing for high‑frequency registration matters such as transfer registration of newly built commercial properties and real estate purchases, continuously elevating the quality of real estate registration services.

18. Fully advance the “transfer of real estate with existing mortgage” process. In collaboration with relevant departments, establish a system for this type of transfer, streamline workflows, and facilitate seamless integration among real estate registration, loan application, disbursement, and repayment across all cities. Explore extending this “mortgage‑in‑place” model to businesses to further invigorate market dynamism.

19. Fully implement the “integrated multi-assessment” reform. During the pre-approval of construction project land use and the planning‑site selection phase, the assessments related to the replacement of permanently designated basic farmland, planning‑site selection, compliance with ecological protection redline requirements, and impacts on nature reserves, geoparks, wetland parks, forest parks, and other protected areas shall be conducted in a consolidated manner. Pilot efforts will integrate the assessment under the “Special Chapter on Economical and Intensive Land Use” into the “integrated multi-assessment” reform.

20. Strengthen surveying, mapping, and geographic information services. Increase the density of Beidou satellite navigation and positioning reference stations in the Yellow River Basin, update the vertical datum, and provide various market entities with free, higher‑precision, and more up‑to‑date surveying and mapping reference services. Waive GNSS static data post‑processing fees for enterprise users. Open a catalog of remote sensing imagery resources, achieve monthly coverage of high‑resolution satellite imagery over the Jinan New‑Old Kinetic Energy Conversion Pilot Zone, and, while ensuring data security, offer non‑classified remote sensing imagery to eligible organizations via online delivery.

IV. Uphold a holistic and balanced approach, and continue to strengthen the conservation and sustainable development of natural resources.

21. Deploy and implement a new round of strategic mineral exploration initiatives. Intensify exploration efforts for key provincial specialties such as gold, iron, and rare earths; strengthen surveys and assessments of uranium, lithium, and other minerals critical to new energy and advanced materials; and encourage private investment in mineral exploration. Strive to add 50 tonnes of gold resources, 15 million tonnes of high-grade iron ore resources, and 300,000 tonnes of rare earth resources, thereby boosting reserves and production of mineral resources.

22. Implement key ecological restoration projects with high quality. Carry out a number of provincially funded priority projects for the ecological restoration of historically abandoned mines. Continue to implement the integrated conservation and restoration project for mountains, waters, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and sands in the Yimeng Mountain area, completing central government funding totaling RMB 850 million. Also, continue the demonstration project for ecological restoration of historically abandoned mines within and around the Nansi Lake Nature Reserve, restoring 587 hectares of mined land and securing RMB 100 million in central government funding.

23. Establish a system of permanent basic farmland reserve areas. Priority shall be given to incorporating, in accordance with established standards, high-quality arable land newly added through land consolidation, reclamation, development, and the construction of new high-standard farmland into the permanent basic farmland reserve area database, with rigorous day-to-day management and control. For major construction projects that, in accordance with the law, require the occupation of permanent basic farmland, equivalent land shall be reallocated directly from the reserve area.

The above-mentioned policies and measures shall be effective until December 31, 2023. Where specific policies and measures already specify an implementation period, such provisions shall prevail.

Shandong Provincial Department of Natural Resources

March 17, 2023