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2. Xien, Lin and Jiejiang, Yang, “Zhaoxian hongguan jueche, jiejue chengzhen zhuzhai wenti” (“Pay attention to macro-policies and solve the urban housing problem”), Jianzhushi (Architect), No. 13 (1982), p. 41.Google Scholar

3. Ibid.

4. The following authors in China have argued against the low-rent policy and have pointed out its weaknesses: Yuancheng, Dai, “Chengzhen zhuzhai wenti yu wuo guo xianxing fangzhu zhidu de gaige” (“The urban housing problem and the reform of the current housing rental system”), Jingji wenti (Problems in Economics), No. 3 ( 1984), pp. 10–13.Google ScholarZhiming, Gu, “Zhuzhai de xingzhi he touzhi shouhui wenti”Google Scholar (“Residential buildings as commodities and the recovery of the government investment in them”), Jianghan luntan (Jianghan Forum), No. 5 (1980), pp. 3–7.Google ScholarGongjian, He, “Zhuzhai wenti de xianshi he jiejue wenti de shexiang” (“The realistic situation of the residential problem and a tentative idea of solving it”), Jianghan luntan, No. 6 (1980), pp. 13–16.Google ScholarXien, Lin and Jiejiang, Yang, “Pay attention to macropolicies.”Google ScholarZhiqun, Lin, “Zhufang fazhan de wenti yu qianjin” (“Problems and prospects on housing development”), Jianzhu xuebao (Architectural Journal), No. 1 ( 1982).Google ScholarCunzhong, Wu and Cunxiao, Wu, “Qianlun fangzhu tiaozheng de tujing” (“On the ways of rent adjustment”), Juin daxue xuebao (Journal of Jilin University), No. 5 (1982), pp. 87–91.Google ScholarCunzhong, Wu and Cunxiao, Wu, “Jiejue chengshi zhuzhai wenti de shexiang” (“Some preliminary thoughts on how to alleviate the urban housing problem”), Juin daxue xuebao, No. 6 ( 1980), pp. 49–53.Google ScholarZheng, Yan, “Wuo guo cheng zheng zhuzhai zhidu chuenzai naxie wenti” (“The existing problems in our country's urban housing system”), Caizheng (Finance), No. 1 (1985), p. 44.Google Scholar The low rent policy has also been criticized outside of China. See Lalkaka, Dinyar, “Urban housing in China,” Habitat International, Vol. 8, No. 1 (1984), pp. 70–2.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

5. Bianren, Cheng, “Cong zhuzhai jianshe kan xingshi, kan shenghuo” (“Look at the condition and life from residential housing construction”), Chengshi jianshe (City Construction), No. 6 (1982), p. 24.Google Scholar

6. “Zhuzhai shangpinghua wenti taolun” (“A discussion on the commercialization of residential housing”), Jianghan luntan, No. 5 (1980), p. 31.Google Scholar

7. Gongjian, He, “Zhuzhai wenti de xianshe he jiejue wenti de shexiang” (“The current residential housing situation and tentative ideas for solving problems”), Jianghan luntan, No. 6 (1980), p. 13.Google Scholar Some urban households in China pay an even smaller percentage of their monthly income for housing. The rate is 1·64% in Dalin and 0·8% in Xining. For Dalin, see Zhang Huaran and Dong Wenyuan, “Guanyu zhujin gaige wenti de tantao” (“A discussion on how to reform the rental problem”), in Zhongguo chengshi zhuzai wenti, (China's Urban Housing Problem), Chinese Architectural Society, 1984, p. 131.Google Scholar For Xining, see Zhongyou, Li, “Shi tan ba zhigong shenghuo xiaofei zhichu yixiang zhuzhai xiaofei” (“A discussion on how to channel the workers' consumption into housing”), in Zhongguo chengshi zhuzhai wenti yanjiuhui: di yi ci xueshu taolun hui wenji (Proceedings of the First Conference on the Urban Housing Problem), 1984, p. 24.Google Scholar Both publications were provided to the author by Zhu Youxuan.

8. Gongjian, He, “The current residential housing situation.”Google Scholar This discussion follows He's article.

9. Ibid.

10. Cunzhong, Wu and Cunxiao, Wu, “On the ways of rent adjustment”Google Scholar; Gongjian, He, “The current residential housing situation,” p. 90.Google Scholar

11. Manheng, Liu and Sune, Liao, “Zhuzhai caojia zhu nian shangshen yuanyin qian xi” (“An analysis of the causes for the rising costs of housing construction”), in Zhongguo chengshi zhuhzai wenti, pp. 107–109.Google Scholar

12. Fandeng, Zeng, “Tigao juzhu shuiping wenti qian lun” (“A discussion on improving the housing standards”)Google Scholar, in ibid. pp. 81–82. Yunchang, Gu and Jun, Fen, “Qian yi zhufang fazhan zhanlue mubiao” (“A discussion on housing development objectives”), Jianzhu xuebao, No. 3 (1984), pp. 21–22.Google Scholar

13. Zhengyi, Jiang, “53 pingfangmi mianji biaozhun nong bu nong jiangdi” (“Can the 53 square metres standard be lowered?”), Zhongguo chengshi zhuzhai wenti, pp. 374–78.Google Scholar

14. Weili, Huang and Dongliang, Lu, “Jiangdi zhuzhai zaojia de kexingxing yanjiu” (“A feasibility study on lowering the construction costs of housing”), in Proceedings of the First Conference, pp. 203–210.Google ScholarYanmin, Yang, “Jiancao di biaozhun zhuzhai, da kai fangchan jingying he gaocao pojiu zhuzhai de daolu”Google Scholar (“To construct low standard housing, to open up the road to real estate business and the upgrading of dilapidated housing”), in ibid. pp. 211–14.

15. Chao, Kang, “Industrialization and urban housing in Communist China,” The Journal of Asian Studies, Vol. 25, No. 3 (1966), p. 394.CrossRefGoogle Scholar

16. Wenming, Su (ed.), Population and Other ProblemsGoogle Scholar, “Beijing Review,” Special Yentun Series, 1981, p. 37.Google Scholar

17. Zhiqun, Lin, “Problems and prospects on housing development,” p. 40.Google Scholar

18. Cunzhong, Wu and Cunxiao, Wu, “On the ways of rent adjustment,” p. 90.Google Scholar

19. Cunzhong, Wu and Cunxiao, Wu, “Some preliminary thoughts,” p. 53.Google Scholar

20. Gongjian, He, “The current residential housing situation,” p. 14.Google Scholar

21. Cunzhong, Wu and Cunxiao, Wu, “Some preliminary thoughts,” p. 53.Google Scholar

22. Zhiqun, Lin, “Problems and prospects on housing development,” p. 42.Google Scholar Whether Lin's estimation of future housing needs is accurate is beyond the scope of this article. The point here is to illustrate the magnitude of the demand-supply gap in China's urban housing sector.

23. Zhongguo tongji nianjian (China's Statistical Yearbook), State Statistical Bureau, 1981.Google Scholar

24. “Guidelines of technical policy concerning urban and rural housing development,” Building in China, China Building Technology Development Centre, No. 3 (1986), pp. 1–7.Google Scholar

25. Ming, Zhang et al. , “Shanghai jiading daoyuan xincun zhuzhaiqu sheji” (“The design of Shanghai Jiading Daoyuan Xincun residential area”), Jianzhu xuebao, No. 3 (1986), pp. 44–74.Google Scholar

26. This group of Chinese planners are listed supra, fn. 4.

27. Zhiming, Gu, “Residential buildings as commodities.”Google ScholarLiang, Xiao, “Zhuzhai Shangpinghua shi qianjing hai shi houtui” (“Is commercialized housing a progressive or a regressive policy?”), Jianghan luntan, No. 5 ( 1983), pp. 10–13.Google ScholarLibo, Zhang, “Shi xi zhuzhai shangpinghua de biyaoxing he kenengxing yi shehuei jingji xiaoyi” (“An analysis of the necessity, the feasibility, and the socio-economic benefits of commercialized housing”), Jingji wenti, No. 7 (1985), pp. 18–22.Google ScholarZhang Xianqiao, “Lun chengshi zhuzhai wenti” (“A discussion of the urban housing problem”), Tianjin shehuei kexue (Tianjin Social Sciences), No. 6 (1984), pp. 38–43.Google ScholarJincheng, Zhao, “Chengxiang jianfang xiang shangping shengchan zhuanhua de tantao” (“An inquiry into the commercialization scheme of urban housing”), Jingji wenti tansuo (Inquiry into Economic Problems), No. 9 (1985), pp. 11–14.Google Scholar

28. Shijie jingji daobao (World Economic Reporter), 26 07 1982, p. 11.Google ScholarLiang, Xiao and Mingsheng, Qi, “Zhuznai shangpinghua he shehui zhuyi shijian” (“The commercialization of housing and the practice of socialism”), Zhongguo shehui kexue (Social Sciences in China), No. 6 (1985), pp. 31–42.Google Scholar

29. New residential units are also sold to small and medium-sized enterprises which do not have sufficient resources to build housing for their employees. The literature on China's urban housing problem concentrates on the issues related to the sale of housing to individuals; very little is known about the sale of housing to enterprises. See Guowen, Li, “Kuoda tueixin shangping zhuzhai” (“To expand the commercialization programme of urban housing”), in Zhongguo chengshi zhuzhai wenti, pp. 144–47.Google Scholar

30. Mingxin, Liu, “Shixing zhuzhai shangpinghua de jige biyao tiaojian” (“Several necessary conditions for the commercialization of housing”), Caijing yanjiu (Study of Finance and Economics, No. 4 (1984), p. 23.Google Scholar

31. This is not a hypothetical case but an actual account of the commercialization scheme in 1984 Shanghai. See Meijian, Wu, “Qian tan yinhang kaiban zhufang chuxu, zhufang daikuang ruhe wei zhuzai shangping hua fuwu” (“A discussion on how to operate mortgages to help serve the commercialization programme”), in Proceedings of the First Conference, p. 37.Google Scholar

32. Xianqiao, Zhang, “Chengshi zhuzhai wenti yu shehui xie” (“Urban housing problem and sociology”)Google Scholar, in ibid. pp. 164–65.

33. Ibid.

34. Ming Bao (Hong Kong), 1 09 1986.Google Scholar

35. The People's Government of the City of Siping, “Gongyou zhuzhai xiong geren chushou shidian gongzhuo qingkuang” (“The situation on the sale of public residential units to individuals”), Chengxiang jianshe (City and Country Construction), No. 6 (1983), pp. 18–19.Google Scholar

36. Derong, Cai, “Lun fangzhu de ‘anbu’ yu ‘mingbu’” (“A discussion on ‘covert’ and ‘overt’ rental subsidy”), in Proceedings of the First Conference, p. 79.Google Scholar

37. Conglin, Fung, “Lun wuoguo chengzheng zhuzhai jingji de gaige” (“A discussion on the reform of our country's urban housing sector”), Liaoning daxue xuebao (Journal ofLiaoning University, No. 2 (1985), p. 8.Google Scholar

38. Cf. supra, fn. 25.

39. Yunchang, Gu, “Gaige chengzheng zhuzhai jianshe he guanli zhidu de tantao” (“A discussion on modifying the construction and management system of urban housing”), Chengxiang jianshe, No. 4 (1983), p. 32.Google Scholar

40. Statistical Yearbook of China 1984 (Hong Kong: State Statistical Bureau, 1984), p. 339.Google Scholar

41. Shijiazhuang Urban Construction Development Corporation, “Kuoda jianfang zhijin qudao de diaocha” (“A survey to expand the sources of housing investment capital”), in Proceedings of the First Conference, p. 177.Google Scholar

42. Figure for 1983 is from Statistical Yearbook of China 1984, p. 453.Google Scholar Figure for 1985 is from Chengxiang jianshe, No. 1 1987), p. 24.Google Scholar A different set of figures for per capita living floor space was reported in another official Chinese publication: 4·89 square metres in 1984 and 5·31 square metres in 1985. The former figure is from China: Urban Statistics, 1985 (Hong Kong: Longman Group; Beijing, China Statistical Information and Consultancy Service Centre, 1985), p. 456Google Scholar; the latter figure is from China: Urban Statistics, 1986 (1987), p. 369.Google Scholar These discrepancies do not, however, weaken in any major way the conclusions reached in the discussion.

43. Zheng, Zhou, “Chu shou zhuzhai de butie banfa ji dai gaijin” (“The method of subsidized sale of housing needs to be corrected soon”), Jingji wenti tansuo, No. 9 (1985), p. 76.Google Scholar

44. Ibid. p. 462.

45. There is a third – but relatively small – group of urban dwellers in China: individuals who finance the total costs of their new housing. Private housing investment was officially sanctioned in late 1982. See Wen Wei Bao, 15 07 1983.Google Scholar In the past several years, private investment in urban housing was reportedly equivalent to 8·77% of the total national investment. See Renmin ribao (overseas edit.), 17 07 1987, p. 2.Google Scholar Because scarcely any data on private urban housing investment have been published, a full-scale analysis of this issue is not possible. A preliminary assessment of the effects of privately-financed housing suggests that it will not become a significant solution to the shortage problem for two reasons. First, the overwhelming majority of the urban population simply cannot afford the full cost of new housing. Secondly, a private individual often faces enormous difficulties in securing the supply of construction materials and a piece of urban land upon which to build his/her house. See Li Guowen, “Yin fazhan chengzhen ‘hezhuo jian fang’” (“Co-operative housing construction should be developed”), Chengxiang jianshe, No. 4 (1986), p. 14. The construction of private dwelling units has, of course, relieved a small part of the state's burden in housing provision. Badcock, Blair, “Land and housing policy in Chinese urban development, 1976–86,” Planning Perspectives, No. 1 (1986), p. 163.Google Scholar This article was referred to the author by Karen R. Polenske.

46. Renmin ribao, 16 01 1987, p. 2.Google Scholar

47. Ibid. 24 December 1986, p. 5.

48. Ibid. 21 April 1987, p. 1.