In May 1991, the State Council, China's Cabinet, set June 25 as National Land Day, to raise people's awareness of the insufficiency of land resources.

When the country celebrates its 23rd National Land Day today, with the theme Treasuring Land Resources and Economical Use of Land, there can be no relenting in such efforts.

Not only because the country faces mounting difficulties in maintaining the "red line" for the total area of arable land at 120 million hectares because of farmland being consumed by industrial projects and booming urbanization across the country. It is also because pollution is eroding the limited land available for farming.