Beijing moved to centralise control of natural resources yesterday with the formal establishment of the Ministry of State Land Resources.
At the opening ceremony, its minister, Zhou Yongkang, said the move represented an important change in resource management.
He said the administration of natural resources would now be concentrated in fewer hands.
Under the government reform, the ministry will combine the functions of the former ministry of geology and mineral resources and the state bureaus of land administration, state oceanography and surveying and cartography.
He said population, resources and environment presented common problems for many countries around the world.
'Better management of state land resources is strategically important to sustain the continuous development of the economy,' Mr Zhou said.