BEIJING -- A draft law on farmland protection and quality improvement in China was submitted on Friday to the ongoing session of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress for its first reading.

Comprising eight chapters and 65 articles, the draft outlines requirements for farmland protection, sets tight control over the utilization of farmlands for non-farming purposes, and emphasizes efforts to improve farmland quality.

In light of China's large population and limited arable land, the draft further strengthens regulations on farmland protection and quality improvement, in addition to existing laws. It is designated to provide stronger legal safeguards for consolidating the foundation of the country's food security.

China has been stepping up efforts to ensure that the total area of its farmland does not fall below the red line of 1.8 billion mu (120 million hectares). By the end of 2024, China's total farmland area reached nearly 1.94 billion mu, an increase of 28 million mu compared to 2020.