Minister attacks developers' destruction of China's cultural heritage

A senior Chinese government minister has criticized the destruction of many historic sites and buildings during the country's rapid economic development, state-run media reported Monday.

Vice Construction Minister Qiu Baoxing blamed some local officials, saying their ''senseless'' actions had ''devastated'' some historic sites, the China Daily reported.

Qiu said, ''They are totally unaware of the value of cultural heritage. Many cities have a similar construction style. It's like a thousand cities having the same appearance.''

He said China's cultural and historic heritage is now facing what he described as a third phase of havoc, similar to the destruction of buildings and cultural treasures during the ''Great Leap Forward'' economic policies of the 1950s and the Cultural Revolution in the 1960s and 1970s.

He also criticized some local governments for demolishing historic buildings and replacing them with fake replicas.

''It's like tearing up an invaluable painting and replacing it with a cheap print,'' he said.

Qiu said the government was revising planning laws to exert greater control over local planning policies.

A five-year nationwide survey of the nation's cultural sites is also being carried out, the report said.