Premier Li Keqiang urged fully exploring underground space when he inspected a construction site for pipelines in the Central Business District of Wuhan, capital of Hubei province, on May 24.

The Premier praised the good development of high-rise buildings in Chinese cities, but said “We lag behind developed countries in underground space usage.” He added that underground space is a huge potential resource and needs further tapping.

Pipeline development is important in enhancing a city’s quality and will prevent damage or destruction to road surfaces, Premier Li said.

He also suggested exploring the PPP (Public-Private Partnership) financing mode to attract more social capital into the construction of pipelines.