Crackdown on illegal land transfers

Chinese officials said Monday they are cracking down on householders illegally transferring land to property developers, AP reported. During the last six years 8,698 officials were penalized within the Communist Party and 1,221 others criminally punished over illegal land title transfers. Corrupt officials have typically seized land transfered title from individuals or families to sell to real estate developers for industrial, residential or commercial use, a practice that has led to numerous protests around the country. Chinese officials are also turning their attention to unregulated loss of farmland, which threatens the country's food security.