国内英语新闻:China issues new regulations on house expropriation

BEIJING, Jan. 21 (Xinhua) -- China's State Council, or Cabinet, Friday published the newly adopted regulations on expropriation of houses on state-owned land and compensation.

The new rules, which took effect upon the issuing, took the place of the 2001 regulations on administration of the housing demolition and relocation in cities.

The new rules specifically stated that neither violence or coercion may be used to force homeowners to leave. Nor could measures, such as illegally cutting water and power supplies, be used in relocation work.

The new rules also banned land developers' involvement in the demolition and relocation procedures, as well as demolition by local governments without court approval.

Moreover, the new regulations ensured fair prices for homeowners by providing that compensation for expropriated homes should be no lower than the sum of the market price of similar properties at the time of an expropriation.

The regulations were first reviewed at a State Council executive meeting in December 2007. Later, public opinion was twice sought in 2010 after revisions had been made to the regulations.

An executive meeting of the State Council Wednesday gave in-principle approval to the regulations.