The State Council has approved a national territorial spatial plan for Gansu province for the 2021-2035 period, according to an official reply published on Jan 26.

According to the reply, by 2035, the total area of cultivated land in Gansu should be no less than 77.03 million mu, permanent basic cropland area should be no less than 63.78 million mu, and the red line area for ecological protection should not be less than 125,000 square kilometers. The area of construction land use per unit of gross domestic product (GDP) in Gansu should decrease by no less than 40 percent.

Gansu is required to thoroughly implement the strategies in coordinated regional development, functional zones, new urbanization, rural vitalization and other major regional strategies, said the reply, adding that it should promote ecological conservation and high-quality development in the Yellow River basin, ensure the construction of the Silk Road Economic Belt and new western land-sea corridor.

More efforts should be made to strengthen the coordinated development of Lanzhou-Xining city cluster and Guanzhong Plain city cluster. Meanwhile, aligning with the Chengdu-Chongqing economic zone and promoting sustainable development of the Hexi Corridor city belt is also stressed.

Gansu will be built into a new highland for opening-up in the inland region, with an enhanced role as a strategic corridor for westward opening-up.

Measures will be taken to stabilize food production in agricultural areas with special characteristics, intensify the conservation and protection of water resources in inland river basins, and conduct major ecological system conservation and restoration, including forest, grassland, wetland, glacier and desert, the reply said.

It will foster the Lanzhou-Baiyin city cluster and accelerate the construction of key cities such as Jiuquan and Tianshui. Integration of urban-rural infrastructure and public services will be promoted to improve the living environment in both urban and rural areas, according to the reply.

It will also speed up construction of the Hexi Corridor clean energy base and Huaneng Longdong Energy Base.

Comprehensive protection and systematic utilization will be carried out for natural and cultural heritages, the reply said.