At the "Promoting High-Quality Development" series of themed press conferences held by the State Council Information Office on the morning of August 23, the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development proposed that the urban renewal action should be implemented with high quality, adhering to the principle of "physical examination first, renewal second," and establishing and improving an integrated mechanism for advancing urban physical examination and urban renewal.

People's cities are built by the people, and people's cities serve the people. Urban construction must put making the people live comfortably and securely first, and leave the best resources to the people. As an important vehicle for people to live and work in peace and contentment, a city is an organic living entity and must also undergo regular physical examinations to become "healthier" and "more livable":

— Focusing on the urgent difficulties and anxieties of the public, from housing to residential communities (neighborhoods), blocks, and urban districts (cities), identify the difficult, obstructive, and painful issues that the public strongly reflects;

— Identifying urban shortcomings and weaknesses, comprehensively considering industry-city integration, safety and resilience, ecological livability, and other aspects, and addressing the shortcomings and weaknesses that affect a city's competitiveness, carrying capacity, safety, and sustainable development;

— Prescribing remedies according to the results, taking the problems found in the physical examination as the focus of renewal, applying city-specific policies, and resolving existing problems as early as possible.

"Though it is not too late to mend the fold after a sheep is lost, it is better to take precautions beforehand." In recent years, housing and urban-rural development departments have, with pragmatic measures and solid actions, comprehensively advanced urban physical examination and urban renewal. They have now established an urban physical examination indicator system and formed an urban physical examination working mechanism of "discovering problems—solving problems—consolidating and improving." At the same time, the comprehensive results brought by the implementation of the urban renewal action are gradually emerging—more than 66,000 urban renewal projects have been implemented nationwide, with cumulative investment of 2.6 trillion yuan, which has not only enhanced the city's image but also improved urban functions and the living environment.

The establishment and advancement of all mechanisms are aimed at better transforming institutional advantages into reform effectiveness and ensuring that reform measures are implemented and delivered. The same is true of "establishing and improving an integrated mechanism for advancing urban physical examination and urban renewal." Its establishment is intended to lead high-level renewal with high-standard physical examinations, thereby promoting high-quality urban development.

We believe that under the guidance of the concept of "physical examination first, renewal second; no renewal without physical examination," and with down-to-earth, sustained advancement—working year after year, completing one task after another—we will surely promote the improvement of urban functions and quality, drive more high-quality, more sustainable, and safer urban development, and surely make cities more livable and more resilient, enabling the people to live better and happier lives.