China is aiming to raise the standards for people's homes, with moves to increase the minimum residential floor height to three meters set to significantly improve housing comfort, according to experts.
To meet people's demand for high-quality housing, China will improve the standards and regulations on building quality homes that are safe, comfortable, eco-friendly, and smart, Chinese Premier Li Qiang said delivering the government work report at the opening meeting of the third annual session of the 14th National People's Congress (NPC) in Beijing last Wednesday.
At a press conference on people's livelihood, the Minister of Housing and Urban-Rural Development Ni Hong further elaborated on the measures that would be introduced, noting that storey height shall be raised to no less than three meters.
China's current residential design standards have been in place for a number of years, with the 2011 residential design code recommending a storey height of 2.8 meters, though this was not a mandatory requirement.
With modern housing demands evolving, factors such as underfloor heating, improved soundproofing, and better ventilation have created a need for taller ceilings. Experts believe that increasing the minimum storey height will help offset space taken up by these features and provide a more comfortable living environment for residents.
"Floor heating, like what we have now, takes up some of the storey height. In addition, we are also targeting people's requirements for comfort, sound insulation, crack prevention and others. These measures all require increasing the height of the space. We can also offset this part of space occupied by increasing the storey height itself," said Liu Xiaozhong, chief architect of the Beijing Institute of Architecture Design.
"With a higher height, for example, our windows will be larger, and both lighting and ventilation will get better, all of which help to significantly improve living comfort. Chinese people are now getting ever taller, and in the process of housing improvement, we not only hope that the housing area will be larger, but also that it will be higher," said Wu Jing, vice dean of the School of Civil Engineering under Tsinghua University.
China to improve housing quality by raising residential storey height
The Iranian government is focusing on public concerns and maintaining stable supplies of essential goods amid recent protests, Iranian President Masoud Pezeshkian said in a televised interview on Sunday.
In the city of Karaj, northwest of the capital Tehran, daily life has largely continued as normal. A video filmed by a local resident on Sunday shows food stores open and grocery shelves fully stocked.
"This is the block near my home, and there are some food stores here. Daily life continues here. Last night we did not see many protests in Karaj. Right now the city is very safe. This is a grocery store close to my home. All the food is available; nothing is in shortage. Here are noodles and different types of beans. Here are dairy products, cheese, and yogurt. I also checked other grocery stores and didn't see any shortages. Everything is available," said local resident Ali Reza.
Iranian officials have described recent disturbances as acts orchestrated by the "enemy," including some carried out by well-trained and armed "terrorists." The incidents have caused casualties among security personnel and civilians, as well as property damage.
The Secretary of Iran's Supreme National Security Council Ali Larijani has directed authorities to severely punish the "terrorists."
Meanwhile, Iran's police chief Ahmad-Reza Radan said on Sunday that the police had raised alert levels and arrested several leaders of the troublemakers during the operations on Saturday.
President Pezeshkian noted in the interview that the normal demands of the Iranian people are reasonable and justified, but they must realize that triggering riots and carrying out terrorist acts are the enemy's attempts to undermine the country. He urged the public to remain vigilant.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Parliament Speaker Mohammad Baqer Qalibaf warned that Tehran would regard U.S. and Israeli bases and facilities in the Middle East as "legitimate targets" if Washington takes military action against Iran. His remarks followed media reports saying U.S. President Donald Trump is "seriously considering authorizing a strike" against Iran.
Iranian state media reported that at least 109 members of Iran's security forces have been killed in clashes since the protests began 14 days ago. Meanwhile, human rights groups based outside the country said the number of protesters killed has exceeded 200, though the figure could not be independently verified.
The protests initially erupted over a sharp depreciation of the rial and sweeping subsidy reforms. Iranian authorities have blamed the unrest on foreign-linked agents and sanctions imposed by the United States.
Iranian president says government focusing on ensuring supplies amid protests
