Anhui official draws fire over 'patriotism' remark

By Li Xinran  |   2009-1-16  |     ONLINE EDITION

AN official in Anhui Province has sparked controversy by linking the purchase of homes with patriotism.

Wang Aihua, director of Hefei City's urban planning bureau, turned up at a television station to promote apartment purchases on Monday, National Business Daily reported.

"Buy an apartment then you are patriotic," Wang said on the program.

Wang yelled the advertising slogan at the end of the program, which has since been widely discussed, especially by the online community.

Some questioned Wang's definition of patriotism while others were left mystified by the connection between buying a home and patriotism. Others complained that the government should not intervene in the real estate market.

Meanwhile, Hefei's Party secretary Sun Jinlong bought an 80-square-meter local apartment in the city recently in an effort to boost confidence in the market although the ploy may not work.

China's home prices experienced its first decline on record last month as slowing economic growth amid a global recession deterred home buyers.

Housing prices across 70 major cities fell in December, according to the National Development and Reform Commission. It's the first drop since the government started releasing the data in August 2005.

New home prices in Shenzhen tumbled 18.1 percent, the biggest fall among the cities. Prices in Guangzhou fell 9.4 percent.

The State Council last month said it will avert drastic declines in property prices by taking a series of measures including building more homes for low-income families and controlling excessive gains in land prices. There are also plans to introduce real estate investment trusts, or REITs, to revitalize construction projects delayed by financing woes, according to Qi Ji, vice minister of housing.

Many local officials, such as Hangzhou's Party secretary Wang Guoping, vowed to sustain home prices and claimed the public is the biggest victim of the decline.