Home>>Business
Last updated at: (Beijing Time) Tuesday, November 20, 2001

World Construction Giants Eye Chinese Market

With China accepted as a World Trade Organization (WTO) member, more and more overseas house builders are casting their eyes on China as a potential market for their advanced housing ideas and techniques using environmentally friendly building materials.


PRINT IT DISCUSS IT CHINESE SEND TO FRIENDS


Advanced technologies and products welcomed to China

"We would like to offer more access for advanced technologies and products from overseas," said an official from the Center for Housing Industrialization of China's Ministry of Construction Monday in Beijing.

The official said, "We are opening our doors to the world, and we hope to improve our process of domestic housing industrialization."

"We hope to construct houses in a large scale and then supply the housing products commercially," said the official, noting that by doing so China will be able to put an end to handiwork in housing construction, and improve its quality.

Big gap does exist between Chinese and foreign housing industry

According to the official, there is still a big gap between China's housing industry and those of the advanced countries in the aspects of high efficiency, low energy consumption and environmental protection.

Domestic housing construction is mostly conducted in a traditional way -- half handiwork and half mechanical work, resulting in working efficiency of only about one-fifth to one-seventh of that of advanced overseas housing construction and low quality, the official added.

Latest technologies and materials introduced to China

Housing construction experts from the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) of the United States held an exhibition in China recently to demonstrate their environmentally-friendly techniques and building materials.

Shortly after that, Canadian and German housing experts showed their new building technologies and materials here.

Forest Products Program Director Mark N.Calhoon, from the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development of the State of Washington in the US, said Chinese citizens are now interested in high-quality housing, with the improvement of their living standards.

He added that wooden framing represents the new direction for the development of joinery in housing construction for its comfort, low energy consumption and recycling rate.

Xu Lei, associate director of the Canadian Cold-Formed Steel Research Group and associate professor of the Department of Civil Engineering of the University of Waterloo, said the steel frame system has become the latest choice for green building.

The professor said light gauge steel framing is popular in Canada and in other parts of the world because of its low energy consumption, ability to withstand seismic shocks and recyclable quality.

Housing experts from Germany demonstrated exterior wall technology which can lower the amount of energy used in heating and cooling by as much as 60%.

Great efforts made to develop local housing industry

Facing the moves of overseas housing experts to establish footholds in China, domestic housing experts and businessmen are taking active measures to develop the local housing industry.

The Ministry of Construction official said environmentally-friendly construction is the trend in future housing development, and domestic businessmen should learn these new technologies.

It is learned that the wooden and light gauge steel framing systems and exterior wall technology have already been applied in some housing projects in China, and the country is preparing to promote them.



Being the largest association of home builders in the United States, the NHBR provide public service project to both builders and consumers and give analysis on the construction market. After the September 11 Incident, Nation's Home Builders Raise Almost $9 Million For Victims Of September 11 Attack.



    Advanced

China's Real Estate to Boost after WTO Entry

National Engineering Technology Library Opens

Stiff Competition on Chinese Building Materials Market





>> Full Coverage