Li Hao Master Degree Candidate of Beijing Forestry University
Zhai Baohui Researcher of Policy Research Center of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development
 
I. Achievements in urban and rural infrastructure construction
1. Public utilities have been developed continuously
In 2011, the total water supply volume nationwide was 51.34 billion cubic meters, increased by 1.08% from the previous year; per capita domestic water consumption reached 70.9 tons, with growth rate as high as 13.26%; water availability rate nationwide increased to 97%. Urban natural gas supply volume in 2011 was 67.88 billion cubic meters, with the growth rate being as high as 39.21%; among which 13.01 billion cubic meters were domestically consumed, increasing remarkably. Centralized heating supply area nationwide in 2011 reached 4.73 billion square meters, expanding significantly compared with the previous three years.
In 2011, urban road construction has been developed steadily throughout the country. The total length of urban road (309,000 km) and area of real road (5.63 billion m²) both increased substantially from the previous year, while the increase of per capita road area was relatively slow. Meanwhile, the length of urban water drainage pipeline (414,000 km) increased significantly in 2011, and the density of urban water drainage pipeline, which was 9.5 km per square kilometers, increased slightly compared with the previous year.
In 2011, the numbers of urban public transport vehicles in operation and taxies were respectively 413,000 and 1,002,000, showing a steady growing trend. Every 10,000 people possessed 11.8 standard buses, improved significantly compared with the previous year.
In 2011, urban garden and green area nationwide increased steadily to 2,243,000 hectares, and the number of parks (10,780) and the area of parks (286,000 hectares) were also on steady increase. Per capita park and green area was 11.8 square meters, which was on continuous increase.
2. The pace of transformation of rural dilapidated houses has been accelerated and the pilot scope has been expanded
In 2012, the central government has expanded the pilot scope of the transformation of rural dilapidated houses to cover all counties (cities, districts and banners) in the central and western regions and all counties (cities and districts) in Liaoning, Jiangsu, Zhejiang, Fujian, Shandong and Guangdong provinces, aiming at the task of supporting the completion of transformation of dilapidated houses of 4 million poor rural households. In 2012, the central government allocated 31.872 billion yuan of subsidiary fund (including 3.5 billion yuan of central government budget investment) for the expansion of pilot scope of rural dilapidated house transformation.
3. Construction of affordable housing has been accelerated
During January to October, in China’s affordable housing projects, 7.22 million apartments were newly started and 5.05 million had been basically completed, finishing the “5 million apartments” task predetermined at the beginning of the year with two months in advance. To guarantee the construction of affordable housing, the state has provided a large sum of fund as support. The National Development and Reform Commission and the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development jointly allocated 42.1 billion yuan, among which 25.5 billion yuan was used to subsidize the construction of low-rent housing and the transformation of state-owned industrial and mining shanty towns, and 16.6 billion yuan was used to subsidize the construction of supporting infrastructure. In addition, the banking institutions have also intensified their loan support for the construction of affordable housing projects.
4. Nationwide urbanization rate has increased
In 2012, the proportion of urban population, namely the urbanization rate, reached 52.57%, 1.3 percentage points higher than that of the previous year. Data showed that, the proportion of the service industry to GDP in 2012 increased by 1.2 percentage points over the previous year. China’s GDP grew by 7.8% in 2012, to which the final consumption contributed 51.8%, capital formation contributed 50.4%, and net export of goods and services contributed -2.2%. With the acceleration of urbanization, GDP growth is increasingly relying on the stimulation of consumption, and urbanization is playing an increasingly important role in transforming the way of economic development.
II. Real estate macro-control policies have been followed unswervingly, promoting the returning of the housing prices to a reasonable level
In 2012, nationwide investment in real estate development was 7180.4 billion yuan, with nominal growth of 16.2% ( the real growth was 14.9% after deducting the price factor), 11.9 percentage points lower than that of the previous year; particularly, investment in residential houses grew by 11.4%, 18.9 percentage points lower than that of the previous year. New housing construction area was 1,773,340,000 square meters, down by 7.3% from the previous year; particularly, the new construction area of residential houses reduced by 11.2% from the previous year. Commodity housing sales area nationwide was 1,113,040,000 square meters, up by 1.8% from the previous year, with the growth rate falling down by 2.6 percentage points from that of the previous year; particularly, the sales area of residential houses increased by 2.0%, 1.4 percentage points lower than that of the previous year. Commodity housing sales revenue nationwide reached 6445.6 billion yuan, up by 10.0%, 1.1 percentage points lower than that of the previous year; particularly, the sales revenue of residential houses increased by 10.9%, 1.7 percentage points higher than that of the previous year. The area of land purchased by real estate development enterprises throughout the year was 356,670,000 square meters, down by 19.5% from the previous year. The area of commodity housing for sale nationwide was 364,600,000 square meters, up by 27.0%, 6.1 percentage points lower than that of the previous year. The paid-in capital of real estate development enterprises throughout the year was 9653.8 billion yuan, up by 12.7%, 4.8 percentage points lower than that of the previous year. Particularly, domestic loan increased by 13.2%, self-collected funds increased by 11.7%, foreign capital utilized decreased by 48.8%, and other funds increased by 14.7%.
Real estate regulation in 2012 achieved two obvious results: the first is that the increase in housing prices has been well checked, as the housing prices in large- and medium-sized cities saw relatively small margin of increase; the second is that the space for housing price speculation was further compressed, and the rigid demand has been leading the supply in the housing market to be more reasonable.
III. Outlook for China’s urban and rural development in 2013
1. Construction of urban and rural infrastructure will continue to be strengthened
In 2013, public transportation is to be developed as a priority in cities, and the number of urban public transport vehicles and average operating speed of buses or trolleybus per hour are to be enhanced. In big cities, basically, public transport stations should be set for every 500-meter distance in the downtown area, and the proportion of public transportation to motor-vehicle transportation is to reach about 60%.
The State Council’s Opinions on Accelerating the Development of Modern Agriculture and Further Enhancing the Development Vitality in Rural Areas pointed out that, in the development of villages and towns in 2013, efforts should be intensified to promote the transformation of rural dilapidated houses, shanty towns in state-owned forest areas (fields), and dilapidated houses in state-owned reclamation areas; to accelerate the implementation of nomads and fishermen home-settling projects; to scientifically plan the construction of villages, carry out strict planning management, reasonably control the construction intensity, provide convenience for the production and life of farmers, and maintain the functions and features of villages; to promote asphalt (cement) road construction in towns and administrative villages in the western regions and concentrated destitute areas, highway transformation and connecting projects in counties and towns in the eastern and central regions, intensify the construction of roads, bridges and security projects and transformation of ferry crossings in rural areas, and continue to promote the construction of rural township passenger station network; to reform and improve the rural homestead system, strengthen management, and safeguard the farmers’ right of use on the homesteads according to law; to intensify investment in poverty alleviation, and comprehensively carry out regional development and poverty alleviation planning for concentrated destitute areas; to improve garbage and sewage treatment and the soil environment, implement village cleaning projects and accelerate comprehensive improvement of river courses and water environment; and to build demonstration counties and villages of ecological civilization.
2. The real estate market macro-control policies will be adhered to unswervingly
In 2013, the state will continue to strictly implement the differential housing credit loaning, taxation policies and restriction measures, resolutely inhibit speculative housing investment demand, support reasonable housing demand for self-residence and life improvement, and continue to promote the construction of township personal housing information system. In addition, in 2013, 6 million apartments of affordable housing will be newly started, and the construction of affordable housing supporting facilities will be placed at an important position. Construction and management of affordable housing will continue to be strengthened, and the transformation of shanty towns will be accelerated.
3. Urbanization will be promoted actively and steadily
The 2012 Central Economic Conference stressed that “urbanization will be promoted actively and steadily, and special efforts will be made to enhance the quality of urbanization.”
The key of improving the quality of urbanization lies in improving the basic function of cities and the service function of public service facilities in cities. Actions should be made according to specific conditions, bringing advantages into full play and avoiding the effect of disadvantages, so as to guide the healthy development of urbanization. Efforts should be made to eliminate some local misunderstandings about urbanization, the phenomenon of large-scale land acquisition and too impatient work style. And the focus of urbanization development should be placed on enhancing the operation efficiency, convenience and life coziness of cities.
In 2013, the focus of the urbanization strategy will be shifted to key towns and small- and medium-sized cities in the central and western regions, and the infrastructure foundation and ability of these areas to attract industries, concentrate population, create employment and provide public services should be consciously improved. 上海翻譯公司完成經(jīng)濟行業(yè)英文翻譯

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