The State Council approved a national territorial spatial plan for Sichuan province, over the period of 2021-2035, according to an official reply released on Jan 23.

According to the reply, by 2035, the total area of cultivated land in Sichuan should be no less than 75.4257 million mu, and the red line area for ecological protection should not be less than 148,500 square kilometers.

Sichuan is asked to step up the construction of the Chengdu-Chongqing Economic Circle to become a significant growth pole and a new driving force for high-quality development in the western region, said the reply, adding that it should strengthen the coordinated development of urban clusters in the Yangtze River Delta, the Pearl River Delta, and the middle reaches of the Yangtze River, actively integrate itself into the Belt and Road Initiative, and become a strategic highland for opening-up to the west and a new base for participating in international competition.

In the meantime, the reply said that it should make efforts to meet the requirements for developing major production areas for agricultural products in the Yangtze River Basin in order to create a higher level "Granary of Sichuan" in the new era.

Efforts should be made to improve the water conservation capacity in the upper reaches of Yangtze River and Yellow River and protect migratory corridors for rare wild animals such as giant pandas, the reply said.

The reply also noted it should align itself with the new industrial layout in China's eastern coastal areas in a high-quality manner, and accelerate the development of industries with distinctive advantages and strategic emerging industries.

Systematic protection will be carried out for natural and cultural resources such as the Emei Mountain, the Dujiangyan irrigation project, the Sanxingdui Ruins and the Giant Panda National Park, according to the reply.