China will construct 400 million mu (about 27 million hectares) of basic, high-standard farmland by 2015 and a total of 800 million mu of farmland by 2020, Vice Minister of Land Resources Wang Shiyuan said Friday.

The move, targeted at ensuring food security, underlines the country's determination to reclaim damaged land masses during the 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) period, said Wang at a launch ceremony for promoting the rural land management.

Since 2001, China has built 200 million mu of basic farmland with high and stable yields and increased more than 42 million mu of arable land. The average output per mu of the reclaimed farmland grew 10 to 20 percent during the period, according to the ministry.