Senior judge hints law revisions about gated communities

A senior Chinese judge on Tuesday hinted at possible revisions to the law when responding to public concern about a government instruction to open up gated residential complexes.

The document is part of government policy at present, and there are issues concerning the protection of rights of interested entities including property owners, said Cheng Xinwen, a senior judge with the Supreme People's Court (SPC), at a press conference.

"There is still a continuing process to realize the rule of law through legislation," Cheng said while expounding the 2007 Property Law.

China's central authorities on Sunday made public guidelines on urban development to deal with "urban ills," such as congestion and pollution.

The document called for open and easy access to streets and blocks, saying no more gated residential compounds will be built and existing residential and corporate compounds will gradually be opened and the roads put to public use.

The judge called the move "prospective and updated," saying it goes in line with the construction of modern cities and can increase the efficiency of property and related resources. Endi