During the ongoing 19th session of the Governing Council of the United Nations Human Settlements Program (UN-HABITAT), Guo Chongli, head of the Chinese delegation said China has defined its guideline on sustainable housing development, including stepping up urban and rural housing infrastructure development, enhancing pollution control and environmental protection and improving urban and rural ecological environment, in order to establish an environmentally sound human settlements.

"We will press ahead with the reform of our housing system. We will continue our efforts, under the guidance of market principles, in establishing the system of commercially available housing, more affordable and suitable housing and low-rent housing for our people," said Guo, also permanent representative of the People's Republic of China to the UN-HABITAT.

Guo disclosed that in September this year, the Chinese Ministry of Construction will join hands with the UN-HABITAT, and in cooperation with Weihai municipal government, in China's Shandong province, to host the 2003 Weihai International Conference on Urban Strategy for Sustainable Development.

The Weihai conference "will afford us another opportunity to discuss the ways and means for sound development in an increasingly urbanizing world and, to make our due contribution to the promotion of the cause of international human settlements," Guo added.

The 19th session of Governing Council of the UN-HABITAT opened Monday at the UN-HABITAT headquarters based in Nairobi, the capital of Kenya, and brought together more than 800 delegates worldwide, including 187 member states of the UN.

The five-day meeting will engage wide-ranging dialogues with mayors and other local authority representatives from around the world, as well as youth and civil society organizations.

(People's Daily May 7, 2003)