East China province holds hearing on uninhabited islands

A legislative hearing has been held in east China's Zhejiang Province to standardize the development and use of uninhabited islands in the region.

It was the first hearing on the management of uninhabited islands launched by the province, which boasts the largest number in the country.

The regulation which was discussed on Thursday details how the uninhabited islands in Zhejiang could be used, said Wu Qiangjun, deputy director with the legislative affairs office of Zhejiang Provincial Government.

It will be China's first provincial government to rule in this area.

Twelve representatives from the province, including common people, experts, lawyers and entrepreneurs, attended the hearing.

Topics discussed included whether the right to use an uninhabited island can be transferred through public auction; how to balance the environmental sustainability of the remote islands; and whether the longest term for the use of the islands should be 50 years.

Yan Guangsheng, one of the representatives, said protection should be highlighted when the islands are being developed.

"It is difficult for individuals or enterprises to construct infrastructure facilities such as power and water supplies, so I suggest the government help build infrastructures," said Cui Yansheng, a retired engineer in Hangzhou, capital of the province.

Netizens were able to comment during and after the hearing and their views have been collected for reference, Wu added.

In April 2001, the Chinese government issued a list of 176 uninhabited islands for development. These islands are along China's eastern and southern coasts.

Land use rights of an uninhabited island off the coast of Ningbo City, Zhejiang Province, were auctioned off to a developer for possible yacht recreation in November 2011. It was the first such plan after China encouraged business people to occupy and develop remote islands in its territorial waters.