Tourists buy popsicles at the Central Street in Harbin, Northeast China's Heilongjiang province, May 3, 2024. [Photo/Xinhua]

　　BEIJING - China aims to transform its cities into livable, resilient and smart spaces through continuous urban renewal programs that enhance the urban landscape, improve residents' living conditions, and stimulate domestic demand.

　　A State Council executive meeting held on Friday, which analyzed urban renewal work, called for accelerated efforts to renovate old residential communities and urban villages.

　　It also emphasized the need to improve urban infrastructure, restore urban ecosystems, and preserve urban history and culture.

　　Chen Jie, a professor at Shanghai Jiao Tong University, said that China's urbanization rate has exceeded 66 percent, following a rapid and large-scale urbanization process over recent decades.

　　However, with the rapid advancement of urbanization, issues such as inadequate underground pipe networks and poor urban planning are becoming more prominent. Chen noted that the urban renewal programs are specifically designed to address these common challenges faced by cities.

　　The State Council meeting also called for increased efforts to attract more private capital into urban renewal initiatives, pledging support for innovative approaches tailored to local conditions to promote high-quality urban development.

　　Dong Yu, executive vice president of the China Development Planning and Research Institute at Tsinghua University, said that urban renewal projects present significant market potential, but due to their substantial capital requirements and long operating cycles, a sustainable model is needed, one in which the government provides guidance while private capital and the public participate in urban renewal efforts.