The Chinese government has banned the building of new golf courses, luxury homes and race tracks on undeveloped land.

The government on Monday published regulations to limiting and prohibiting land use to protect the country's diminishing farmland.

New land use for large commercial facilities such as large furniture and building materials facilities, entertainment centers, theme parks, and cemeteries are to be restricted and completely prohibited on farmland.

"The regulations will ensure farmland is protected and land is effectively used," said a senior official with the Ministry of Land and Resources.

The country's rapid industrialization and urbanization are fueling demand for land for construction and the government has been forced to control land use through stricter management measures.

The new regulations, which replace those published in 1999, tighten controls on land use for resource-consuming construction projects.

(Xinhua News Agency December 19, 2006)