The Ministry of Land and Resources: Sufficient Land Is Approved for Housing Construction

    Housing prices in China have remained high for years. In response to the statements “land approved for construction is insufficient” and “housing prices are soaring because of the shortage of land for development,” Hu Cunzhi, chief planner of the Ministry of Land and Resources, retorts that the amount of land available for housing construction in urban and rural areas is in fact sufficient. The ministry will formulate relevant regulations to make use of designated construction areas more efficient. According to Hu Cunzhi, the general land use plan guarantees the demands of urban and rural development will be met. By 2020, per capita urban and rural construction land will be 127 square meters, compared with 82 square meters in developed countries and 87 square meters in developing countries. Therefore, the saying that “the supply of land for construction is insufficient due to the government’s protection of arable land” is simply untrue. The fact is that real estate developers cannot fully use the land approved each year.