Across China: Beijing

$7b 'homes for poor' plan

China will spend 49.3 billion yuan ($7 billion) this year to improve living conditions for poor people, said Qi Ji, vice-minister of housing and urban-rural development, yesterday.

The money will go towards building low-rental houses for 2.6 million low-income families in cities and 800,000 families living in shanties in forests and mine areas, as well as help repair dangerous buildings for nearly 800,000 rural residents.