Xu Shaoshi (徐紹史), Minister of Land and Resources

Key phrases: Land system reform, housing price regulation

Core concerns: Based on past experiences in the implementation of Five Year Plans, investment growth tends to reach a peak in the second year of the plan, creating huge demand for construction land. The task of maintaining 1.8 billion mu (12 million hectares) of cultivated land while restructuring the economy and sustaining growth will be the most difficult challenge for the ministry this year. Meanwhile, although pressure on mineral resources has relented with the economic downturn, the ministry will still face calls to open up new areas for mining.