Last year, over 8 million visits were exchanged between people of the two sides, reaching a new high. We hope such good momentum will be kept. Moreover, the two sides are also in consultation of a follow-up to the Economic Cooperation Framework Agreement (ECFA). We hope to see early results out of the consultations so that greater benefits can be delivered to people and businesses of both sides. Please also convey my New Year greetings to our Taiwan compatriots.

[新华社和新华网记者]总理你好，房地产问题一直是社会持续关注的问题，今年两会上也有代表委员提了很多的建议和意见。那么请问总理，政府在这方面有没有什么新的思路和新的举措？谢谢。

Xinhua News Agency: The housing issue has always been a hot topic among the Chinese society. During this year’s two sessions, many deputies and members put forward their suggestions and views on this topic. I would like to ask what will be the new ideas and measures of the government on this issue?

[李克强]房地产问题是个大问题，它直接关系到居民住房问题。让人民群众住有所居，这应该是政府奋斗的目标。我们需要根据不同人群的需求，不同城市的情况，分类施策、分城施策。政府还是要用更多的精力、更大的力度来解决好群众的基本住房需求问题。现在我们国家城镇集中连片的棚户区还居住着上亿人，可以说不具备基本的生存条件。几百个人一个旱厕，特别是北方，到了冬天居民入睡要带着棉帽、穿着棉衣，这可以说是政府心头之痛。所以今年我们要继续加大棚户区改造的力度，至少要再改造470万套以上。当然，我们也要推进公租房等保障房建设，并且实行公平分配，让新就业的年轻人和长期进城务工的人员缓解住房困难。在这方面，我认为干一寸胜过说一尺。对于合理的自住需求，也要有相应的政策支持，包括增加普通商品房供应。对房地产市场则是要因城因地分类进行调控，抑制投机投资性需求，重在建立长效机制，促进房地产市场平稳健康发展。谢谢。

Li Keqiang: The real estate issue is a big issue, as it directly concerns home of the people. The goal of the government is to ensure adequate housing for the people. We need to take differential measures in response to diverse needs and in light of different situations in different cities. I believe the government needs to focus on and do more to meet the people’s basic housing needs. Now, up to 100 million people still live in those contiguous poor urban rundown areas, and these people lack their basic living

conditions. For example, several hundred people have to share one toilet, and in places in Northern China, people have to wear cotton-padded coats and hats when they go to sleep on a winter night. This is deeply distressing for the government. We will rebuild more rundown areas this year, and the goal is to rebuild at least over 4.7 million rundown houses. At the same time, we will also build more government-subsidized housing, such as public rental housing to ease the housing difficulty of those young