¡@¡@BEIJING, June 30 (Xinhuanet) -- China's first national administrative regulation on uninhabited islands will be enacted on July 1, the State Oceanic Administration (SOA) announced Monday.

¡@¡@The regulation was jointly issued by the SOA, the Ministry of Civil Affairs and the Headquarters of the General Staff of Chinese People's Liberation Army on June 17 this year.

¡@¡@The regulation lays out strict measures on the protection of uninhabited islands around the base points of China's territorial waters and prohibits activities that might damage the islands.

¡@¡@It says uninhabited islands belong to the nation, and organizations and individuals must apply for approval if they want to use the islands.

¡@¡@An SOA official said China's island administration had, for a long time, been relatively weak, and disorderly exploitation of uninhabited islands had caused worsening damage to natural resources and the environment.

¡@¡@Disorderly exploitation also harmed the national interest and posed a threat to national defense and military security, said the official.

¡@¡@"The issuing and enacting of the regulation is a very good reinforcement of China's existing oceanic laws and will be conducive to maintaining order of uninhabited island exploitation,protecting the ocean environment, and safeguarding China's national interests," said the official.

¡@¡@China has more than 6,000 islands each with an area larger than 500 square meters, of which 94 percent are uninhabited. Enditem