China's efforts to rebuild shanty areas date back to 2008, as the government aimed to remove old and dangerous houses, and improve living conditions for low-income families. Through the past decade, the re-construction of run-down areas has covered nearly 45-hundred houses. Over 100 million residents in those areas have moved into brighter and more comfortable buildings. The projects have also been raising the urban comprehensive carrying capacity, as well as the service level of public facilities. They have improved the overall landscape of urban areas. This year, China aims to rebuild 5.8 million run-down houses. Vice Minister of House and Urban-rural Development Ni Hong says strict quality and safety supervision is among the government's top priorities.  

NI HONG, VICE MINISTER MINISTRY OF HOUSING AND URBAN-RURAL DEVELOPMENT "Since the rebuilding initiative started, the government has been paying a lot of attention to it. We have some good practices in local areas to recommend and share. The first is to ensure the builders and construction organizations strictly perform under legal procedures; the second is to comprehensively implement the responsibility system of building quality; the third is to enhance the quality and safety supervision on reconstruction; fourth, to mak information open and transparent, under the supervision of our society and people; last, to seriously investigate and punish those responsible for irregularities, in terms of quality and safety."