China's economic planner is mulling policies that would boost the development of seawater desalination facilities in order to supplement the country's supply of freshwater.

The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), together with 11 other departments, are working on guidelines to accelerate the development of the country's seawater desalination facilities, said Li Jing, deputy director of the Environment and Resources Department under the NDRC.

The NDRC is creating a layout for the development of new seawater desalination facilities over the coming five years, as well as a layout relating to patents for water desalination technologies, Li said.

The policies will give preferential treatment to companies that independently develop desalination equipment.

China often suffers from shortages of freshwater. Its freshwater resources per capita are just one-fourth of the global average.