China will keep up its campaign to bring the housing market under control, Premier Wen Jiabao pledged on Monday, amid new evidence that the property sector is beginning to heat up again despite government efforts to reduce speculation and bring prices down.
Speaking at a meeting of the World Economic Forum in Tianjin in eastern China, Mr Wen called on local governments to take part in the drive to discourage speculation and said that limiting price increases was central to maintaining social stability.
“It is the key responsibility of all levels of governments to stabilise housing prices and to guarantee the availability of housing,” he said. “The housing issue is not only an economic problem but also an issue of people’s livelihood that affects social stability.”