BEIJING - Local governments in China must make better use of building land, authorities announced Sunday night.

Cities and towns should specify their land use objectives before the end of this year to ensure a 20 percent cut in construction land use per unit of GDP by 2020, according to a statement by the Ministry of Land and Resources and the National Development and Reform Commission.

China has reduced construction land per unit of GDP by around 25 percent in the past five years.

Use of building land should be made more efficient by better use of inventories, market reform and stricter standards, the statement added.