China imposes restrictions on construction of new skyscrapers

China has some of the tallest buildings in the world, including the 632-meter Shanghai Tower

China has restricted the construction of extremely tall skyscrapers in smaller cities as part of a crackdown on wasteful vanity projects by local governments, Qazet.az informs referring to Reuters.

Without special approval, cities with populations of less than 3 million must not build skyscrapers taller than 150 meters (492.13 ft), and cities with larger populations must not construct buildings higher than 250 meters, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said.

The measures go further than an existing ban on buildings of more than 500 meters.

Officials who approve such projects in violation of the new rule “will be held accountable for life”, the ministry said, which would mean officials were subject to any future punishment decided in relation to the breach of rules.

China has some of the tallest buildings in the world, including the 632-meter Shanghai Tower and the 599.1-meter Ping An Finance Center in Shenzhen.

While China acknowledges that high-rise buildings promote more intensive use of land resources, it is increasingly concerned that local officials are blindly pursuing construction with little attention to practicality and safety.