Construction approval frozen for 26 cities

China announced the freezing of construction approval for land in 26 cities, including Beijing, after the cities failed to submit land use reports. The Ministry of Land and Resources, which regulates national land use, said 26 of 84 cities failed to report their use of land for the period between 1999-2004 before the central government's deadline. Analysts said the move could indicate tighter monitoring of the property sector by the government.