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China has approved through repeated examinations 677 scenic spots, covering an area of over one percent of its territory, said sources with the Ministry of Construction (MOC) Wednesday in Beijing.

The ministry named 26 new national key parks on Wednesday, increasing the country's state-level scenic spots to 177. Meanwhile, a national park administration system corresponding to the global national park system has been set up in China.

Among these scenic spots, 16 famous sites have been listed as World Heritage Sites by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), such as Mount Taishan, Mount Huangshan, Mount Emeishan-Mount Leshan, Mount Wuyushan, Mount Lushan, Wulingyuan, Jiuzhaigou, Huanglong, Qingcheng Mountain--Dujiangyan Irrigation Project and Three Parallel Rivers, said the MOC.

MOC Vice-Minister Qiu Baoxing said Wednesday in Beijing that China has a history of 5,000 years, and its splendid national park resources form an important component part of the world natural heritage.

Qiu said China also plays a vital role in implementing many international conventions on resource protection, such as conventions concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritages, Convention on Biological Diversity, and the PAMSAR Convention (on wetlands conservation).

China's natural scenery resources not only belong to the people of China, but also to the people worldwide, said Qiu, adding that any damage done to these world heritages will bring loss to the world.

In 2003, China launched a nationwide drive to fight against illegal destructive activities on the national scenic spots and historic sites. In the drive, a total of 1,686 illegal cases have been sternly dealt with.

Qiu said all key national parks are required to have a rational layout before their construction and, by the end of 2003, plans of 88 leading national parks had won approval from the State Council, and 55 percent of all key national parks set borderlines for their heart scenic spots.

In mid-2004, the 28th session of UNESCO World Heritage Committee, is scheduled to be held in Suzhou city, a scenic destination in east China's Jiangsu Province.

China will take this opportunity to further push the protection of its world heritages and natural scenic spots, Qiu said. At present, the MOC is working with the State Council, or the Chinese central government, to the draft a national regulation on scenic area administration, as well as relevant rules.