Recently, the Ministry of Natural Resources released the "Yangtze River Economic Belt—Yangtze River Basin Territorial Space Plan (2021-2035)", which covers the overall arrangements for various spatial activities such as protection, development, utilization, and restoration of territorial space in the Yangtze River Economic Belt and the Yangtze River Basin. It serves as an important basis for local governments at all levels in compiling and implementing territorial space plans.

The planning scope includes the entire territory of 11 provinces (municipalities) in the Yangtze River Economic Belt, as well as relevant county-level administrative regions in the other 8 provinces (autonomous regions and municipalities) of the Yangtze River Basin as stipulated in the "Yangtze River Protection Law", totaling 1,173 county-level administrative regions. The planning scope includes land territory, inland waters, and territorial seas, with a land area of 2.4 million square kilometers.‍

Planning Background

The Yangtze River Economic Belt—Yangtze River Basin has favorable conditions for water, soil, light, and heat, and the current layout of cultivated land is generally reasonable, but the carrying capacity of cultivated land in some areas is overloaded. The Yangtze River Economic Belt—Yangtze River Basin is an important ecological security barrier for China and even the world, with important ecological functions such as biodiversity, water conservation, soil and water conservation, and flood regulation. The layout of urban construction is generally reasonable, but there are safety risks in some areas.

Planning Objectives and Spatial Pattern

By 2025, the framework for the protection of the Yangtze River will be basically formed. By 2035, a golden economic belt that is healthy and safe, ecologically beautiful, coordinated and connected, prosperous and livable, and distinctive will be fully built.‍

Consolidating the Spatial Foundation for National Food Security

Fully leverage the agricultural resource advantages of the Yangtze River Basin, firmly hold the red line of cultivated land, ensure the basic stability of the existing cultivated land scale, and expand agricultural space through multiple measures; create high-quality and efficient modern agricultural space according to local conditions; strengthen the ecological attributes of cultivated land, transform agricultural land use methods, and promote ecological management of agricultural space by classification.

Building a Solid Spatial Foundation for Ecological Security in the Basin

Respect natural laws and river evolution laws, coordinate the relationships among rivers and lakes, upper, middle, and lower reaches, and main and tributary streams, protect and improve the ecological functions of the basin, consolidate the spatial foundation for ensuring ecological security, food security, and water security, implement systematic protection and restoration of mountains, rivers, forests, farmlands, lakes, grasslands, and deserts by basin and region, enhance the stability of the Yangtze River ecosystem, and effectively curb the trend of biodiversity decline.‍

Guiding Intensive and Efficient Urban Space with Urban Development Boundaries

Strictly implement the control requirements of urban development boundaries, fully leverage the comparative advantages of the upper, middle, and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, smooth the network connections among urban agglomerations, metropolitan areas, and central cities, promote the rational flow and efficient agglomeration of factors such as regional population, resources, industries, and infrastructure, and promote intensive and efficient development of urban space.

Coordinating the Protection and Utilization of Shoreline Space

Strictly protect natural shorelines through integrated water-land management, control shoreline development and construction, promote rational and efficient use of shorelines, improve the level of economical and intensive use of shoreline resources, optimize the spatial structure of shorelines, and promote the formation of a shoreline development, protection, and utilization pattern featuring basin governance and regional coordination.‍

Supporting the Construction of Efficiently Connected Infrastructure Networks

Give full play to the strategic supporting role of infrastructure in the development and protection of the territorial space of the Yangtze River Economic Belt—Yangtze River Basin, optimize the layout of infrastructure such as transportation, water conservancy, energy, and disaster prevention, increase spatial support and coordinated utilization, and build a modern infrastructure system and spatial support system that is complete, efficient and practical, intelligent and green, and safe and reliable.

Protecting and Inheriting Yangtze River Cultural Space

Protect, inherit, and promote Yangtze River culture, explore the multiple values of natural and cultural heritage, and continue the historical context. Promote the integration of the natural landscapes, historical culture, and urban and rural human settlements of the Yangtze River, build a beautiful Yangtze River, and meet the people's aspirations for a better life.‍

Improving the Implementation Guarantee System

Implement the main responsibilities of administrative entities at all levels for plan implementation, strengthen the connection and constraints of relevant plans within the region, improve the territorial space control mechanism, strengthen the guidance and supervision of departments for plan implementation, improve the inter-provincial consultation and cooperation mechanism, establish a major issues reporting system, and ensure the smooth implementation of the plan.‍