The State Council General Office has issued an approval on the overall planning of Sanya in South China’s Hainan province.

Sanya is a tourist destination with tropical seashores and scenery. The overall planning is aimed at improving its global impact, building a modern city with prosperous economy, good ecology, vitality and characteristics.

According to the approval, coordinated development should be emphasized in urban and rural areas. A unified administration should be in place over the 1,919.6 square kilometers of planning areas clarified in the overall planning.

City scale should be controlled. By 2020, permanent population in the city center should be controlled to within 500,000, while urban construction land should be limited to 74.7 square kilometers.

The document also asked to improve the urban infrastructure system, and develop the city into a resource-saving and environment-friendly place. Transportation will be further improved, and water supply, drainage and garbage disposal will be planned and constructed.

Pollutant emissions will be strictly restricted, green architecture will be developed, and the efficiency of water usage will be improved.

A livable environment should be created. Public service facilities involving people’s interests in education, medical service and municipal administration will be planned and developed. The scale of government-subsidized housing and related investment should be set. Historical culture and characteristic features should be protected.