Island“Owning”

by Li Zhuoxi

A document issued in July 2018 by the Hainan ocean and fishery authorities stated that any entity or individual seeking to develop uninhabited islands should first submit application to ocean administration authorities.

Uninhabited islands are scattered across the vast waters of China. These so-called “uninhabited islands” refer to is- lands which are not listed in the resident household registration management system. According to a survey report on island resources issued by Chinas State Oceanic Administration （SOA）， the countrys uninhabited islands account for 94 percent of its total islands， yet cover only about two percent of total island area.

According to the SOA， development should happen based on paid usage. Charges for usage of an uninhabited island will be decided by the size， intensity and effect of exploitation. Another priority is whether the plan gives due consideration to protecting natural resources such as rare and endangered species， freshwater and beaches. This is a measure to prevent developers from damaging the ecosystems of the islands and their surrounding waters.

The dream of becoming an “island owner” may seem tempting. Yet doing so requires a lot of hard work. Developing an isolated uninhabited island is not easy. To develop an uninhabited island， a tenant needs to equip it with basic facilities such as docks， roads， buildings， fresh water and electricity， all of which cost two or three times as much as on the continent. It is estimated that developing a single uninhabited island would require at least one billion yuan.