China's land watchdog says it will work to prevent abuses of land rights, as the demand for space is expected to surge this year.

"As suggested in the report of the Party's 18th National Congress, urbanization and industrialization mean more land will be needed for construction," Yue Xiaowu, deputy director of law enforcement and supervision at the Ministry of Land and Resources, said on Tuesday.

This year's land supply plan has not been released yet, but Yue said the amount will increase dramatically, posing challenges to the protection of China's fragile arable areas.