China's Ministry of Construction has built more than 400 pilot residential projects in urban areas throughout the country in a bid to improve quality and provide models for the country's construction industry.

According to a senior official with the ministry, the government has set high standards for building materials, design, landscaping, and other auxiliary facilities for the pilot homes.

He said the country is launching massive housing construction, building 410 million square meters of floor space in 1999 with a total investment topping 401 billion yuan, up 19.6 percent and 11 percent, respectively, over the 1998 figures.

"Speaking from an overall point of view, there are many quality problems in housing construction," said one expert with the ministry, who stressed the necessity of building more experimental residences in different areas as a reference for the housing industry.

The building campaign for experimental housing began in 1986, and the program has helped improve the overall quality of the country's apartment buildings.

All provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions throughout the country have been urged to attain the goal of building at least 25 percent of their apartment houses according to the standards set by the experimental residences by the end of this year.