China to steadily advance urban renewal projects: minister

BEIJING, March 9 (Xinhua) -- China will steadily advance urban renewal projects, a major move in promoting high-quality development in urban areas, Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong said on Saturday.

The goal of urban renewal projects is to make cities more livable, smarter, and more resilient, Ni told a press conference on the sidelines of the ongoing session of the national legislature.

Ni said work must be done to spot people's urgent needs in residential compounds and communities, as well as the weakness in sustainable urban development.

More elevators, parking spaces, and elderly and childcare facilities will be added, Ni said, adding that 50,000 old residential compounds will be renovated this year.

In 2023, renovation of 53,000 old residential compounds in urban areas was kicked off, according to the minister.

Ni said efforts will also be made to further improve urban underground pipeline networks, and over 100,000 km of pipelines for gas, water, sewage, and heating will be renovated this year.

Meanwhile, real-time monitoring of such infrastructure facilities will be advanced to better guarantee the security of cities, Ni said, adding that flood drainage capacity will be enhanced by addressing potential risks in 100 more cities across the country.