BEIJING — China will take measures to prevent the large-scale demolition of buildings during the upgrading of cities, the country's urban-planning authorities said on Aug 31.

The country will avoid tearing down existing buildings on a large scale unless those buildings are illegal or designated as dangerous by professional agencies, while historical buildings should be preserved, said Huang Yan, vice-minister of housing and urban-rural development, at a press conference.

Huang said that, while many local governments have started to introduce policies for urban renewal in line with the central government agenda, some plans seemed to have run counter to the original intention, such as those on demolishing old towns and districts or cutting down old trees on a large scale.

All localities should carefully plan their urban-renewal programs, taking into account the situation of each city and avoiding increasing hidden debts to local governments, Huang said, citing a notice released by the ministry on Aug 31 banning mass demolitions during urban-renewal projects.

After decades of rapid development, China's urbanization has entered a new phase of development, with the urbanization rate at over 60 percent.

During this new stage, city development should focus on optimizing structure, improving functions and enhancing quality, Huang noted, adding that the urban-renewal programs are in line with the objective and are included in the country's official plan for the next five years.

The ministry will continue to explore new ways of accomplishing urban renewal and will carry out pilot programs in an orderly manner, Huang said.