China Real Estate law amended to back state expropriation

China's top legislature amended a real estate management law Thursday, allowing the government to expropriate institutional and private houses on state-owned land for public interests. The Standing Committee of the National People's Congress (NPC) voted at its legislative session that ended on Thursday to add one clause to the General Principles of the Law on the Management of Urban Real Estate, which allows the expropriation for public interests while demanding compensation to owners. The new clause also underscores that the legal rights of the owners must be protected and residence conditions of private owners after resettlement must be guaranteed.