Chinese vice premier urges efforts to advance urban renewal work

BEIJING, Jan. 20 (Xinhua) -- Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng on Monday urged solid, orderly and effective efforts to advance urban renewal tasks across the country.

He, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, told a national video conference that urban renewal requires the formulation of and adherence to specific and scientific plans, while funds and resources should be coordinated and used in a law-based, market-oriented matter.

The construction of urban renewal projects should be completed on schedule with high quality, the vice premier said, noting that municipal governments should shoulder their responsibilities and ensure the quality and safety of these projects.

This year, China aims to complete the renovation of old urban residential communities that were built before the end of 2000, according to the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development.

By the end of 2025, work should be done to update and renovate identified aging gas pipelines, and significantly reduce the occurrence of black and odorous water bodies in county-level urban areas, the ministry said.