The State Council has approved a national territorial spatial plan for Zhengzhou, the capital city of Central China's Henan province, for the 2021-2035 period, according to an official reply issued on Jan 9.

As an international comprehensive transportation hub, Zhengzhou holds significant importance as a major city in China's central region and a national historical and cultural city.

As per the reply, by 2035, the total area of cultivated land in Zhengzhou should be no less than 2.8311 million mu, of which the protection area for permanent basic farmland should be at least 2.0852 million mu, and the red line area for ecological protection should not be less than 547.02 square kilometers.

The reply urged Zhengzhou to deeply integrate into the joint construction of the Belt and Road, and actively participate in the ecological protection and high-quality development along the Yellow River Basin.

In addition, efforts should be made to accelerate the construction of an urban system with regional coordination and urban-rural integration. Measures will also be taken to fortify the Songshan Mountain ecological shelter zone and strengthen the ecological protection and restoration of mining areas.

Furthermore, priority should be given to guarantee the space demand for advanced manufacturing, the transformation and upgrading of commercial logistics, and the development of scientific and technological innovation industries, the reply said.

To build a comprehensive urban transport network that is safe, convenient, low-carbon and green, Zhengzhou has been asked to build international air freight and railway hubs, enhance its function as an international landway port and improve external and internal channels with multi-directional connectivity and multimodal transport.

Moreover, more measures should be taken to protect historical urban areas and the historical and cultural blocks, especially the Shang Dynasty ruins, according to the reply.