Beijing is expected to work out a new blueprint for rural areas at the end of this year, the Municipal Commission of Urban Planning said at a working conference here Tuesday.

"We must take prudent approaches and put the local conditions into consideration when we make the new rural layout. Large-scale dismantlement and rebuilding will not be encouraged," said Chen Gang, director of the urban planning commission.

The new blueprint will be the first of its kind focusing on the systematic planning of Beijing's villages and townships, The Beijing News has reported.

Zhang Genwu, vice director of the Municipal Commission of Rural Affairs, said the rural area covers 92 percent of the city's total but 40 percent of the villages have never been properly planned or mapped before.

A recent investigation conducted by the commission proposed all the villages should renovate their environment before 2008. It also suggested the 509 villages whose annual per capita income has reached 8,000 yuan (US$988) be demolished and rebuilt. Detailed proposal will come out after it has been officially acknowledged.

Beijing has 3,978 villages with 3.08 million rural population. The development of rural areas has lagged far behind that of urban areas.

(Xinhua News Agency October 26, 2005)