Abstract: The establishment of a new policy of balancing the occupation and replenishment of arable land,centered on the principle of comprehensive occupation and replenishment and stipulating that "the farmland occupied for other purposes must be offset equally with the newly opened-up farmland",represents a crucial reform measure to uphold the red line of farmland protection.A precise understanding of the internal logic of this policy and clear implementation pathways are essential to ensure its effective application,with the limitations of the existing system in achieving productivity balance of farmland serving as the logical foundation.These limitations are manifested in four key aspects:the internal conversion within agricultural land becoming the primary cause of farmland reduction,the depletion of suitable reserve land resources increasing ecological risks from reckless reclamation,unclear responsibility allocation for replenishing farmland in non-agricultural construction projects,and inadequate supervision over cross-regional land occupation and replenishment.The policy objectives accordingly focus on optimizing agricultural land allocation to create spatial conditions for agricultural modernization,ensuring sustainable use of replenished farmland to achieve a win-win outcome for both farmland protection and ecological conservation,and clarifying responsibility subjects based on regional balance and categorized management.To advance this policy,it is imperative to leverage all stakeholders in strengthening the social foundation of farmland protection,enhance inter-departmental collaboration,promote comprehensive land consolidation as a key approach to optimize regional land use patterns,and make innovation in supporting policies for effective implementation.

Key words: farmland, farmland protection, balance of the occupation and replenishment of arable land, comprehensive land consolidation