As most people have solved the problem of inadequate houses, they begin casting their eyes on the housing quality, Vice-Minister of Construction Liu Zhifeng said Thursday at an international forum on housing industry and urban development.

More and more people favor buying houses comfortable to live in, with rational functional spaces, proper heat preservation, heat isolation and ventilation and equipped with modern home facilities as well as a good community environment, said Liu.

Liu said that in recent years, the government has issued many laws and regulations as guidance for the housing construction market, so that more high quality houses will be built to meet the residents' demand. These regulations include a design standard for energy saving in housing construction and an evaluation system for housing quality.

Besides, China is also conducting trials to establish a housing industrialization base with many model houses, which will then be promoted throughout the country. Liu said more new housing technologies and housing equipment have also been applied in the demonstration projects.

But he noted there have been some unqualified houses appearing in the housing market, which are called a "healthy house" or "ecological house", which should be removed from the market.

The international forum on housing industry and urban development is a part of the three-day International Forum on Urban Development held in Beijing, which was organized by the China Association of Mayors and the Center for Housing Industrialization of the Ministry of Construction.

(Xinhua News Agency October 30, 2003)