China to strengthen renovation of old communities in urban areas

BEIJING -- China will intensify the renovation of old urban residential areas in 2020, with 39,000 communities to be renovated and benefiting around 7 million households, according to the country's top housing regulator.

Major renovation work will be done in communities built before the end of 2000 to improve supporting infrastructure, the environment and the quality of public services, such as elderly and child care, said Huang Yan, deputy minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

Renovation should be implemented in an orderly manner and in accordance with the wishes of residents, while project quality and construction safety should be emphasized. Efforts will be made to mobilize citizens to participate in the work and enhance long-term neighborhood management mechanisms, Huang said.

The funding of the projects will be shared by the government and the society at large, including subsidies from the central government, financial support from local expenditure. And public investment will be encouraged in this regard, Huang added.

China renovated 19,000 old urban communities last year, providing convenience to 3.52 million households, statistics showed. At present, major renovation projects are resuming operations in an orderly manner.