Who foots the bill?

The collapse of the five-story building in Fenghua, Zhejiang province, attracted nationwide attention to the problem of dangerous buildings. Now, the big question is: Who should pay for their repair and reconstruction?

Ju Chunhua, an expert of the Zhejiang Academy of Social Sciences, said tracing those responsible among the architects, construction companies and developers is an impossible task 20 or 30 years after construction.

"The 1990s was the peak time when companies changed status from State-owned to privately run. Also, many companies have disappeared because of bankruptcy or other reasons," he said, adding that the situation puts the onus on local governments to pay for demolition or refurbishment work and provide compensation in the wake of accidents.