Uninhabited islands off Hainan’s coast open to developers
Six uninhabited islands off the cost of China’s tropical Hainan island province are now open for development by individuals and enterprises.
According to China’s State Oceanic Administration (SOA), this move will enable the development of the tourism, transportation, fishing, agriculture, forestry and construction sectors.
Approved plans could give enterprises and individuals a maximum of 50 years of development rights on an island, but they will be subject to China’s strict regulations under China’s Law on Island Protection to ensure orderly development.
‘Any corporation and individual can apply to tap these uninhabited islands as long as they have appropriate development plans and use the islands for the stipulated purposes,’ said Lu Caixia, director of SOA’s island management office.
Developers must follow strict government regulations concerning height restrictions of buildings, waste emissions and processing, and be subject to environmental impact assessments.
Zhao Zhongshe, head of the Department of Ocean and Fisheries of Hainan Province, stressed that no real estate projects will be developed on the islands. ‘The islands are to be developed as tourist sites,’ he said.
‘Hopefully more volunteers could be included in the island protection efforts,’ said Duan Deyu, Vice Director of the Ocean and Fisheries Bureau of the tourist city of Sanya, commending past garbage clean-up activities on these islands by Sanya-based volunteer group Blue Ribbon.
According to a 1980s census, there are over 6,500 uninhabited in China. The six located off the coast of Hainan, China’s only tropical province and the country’s southernmost point, are only a handful of the 176 islands that SOA has opened for development
China also recently announced the opening up of the Paracel Islands southeast of Hainan island to resort-style tourism. In addition to the newly opened uninhabited islands, this will mark a huge step in China’s plan to boost the reputation of Hainan as a major international tourist destination.
| < Prev | Next > |
|---|