The General Office of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-rural Development ("MOHURD") has recently issued the Official Reply on Approving the Launching of the Pilot Program on Architect Responsibility System in the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei (the "Reply").
The Reply states that, the pilot program on architect responsibility system, which is proposed for the Xiong'an New Area in Hebei, is approved. Efforts shall be made pursuant to requirements set out in the Several Opinions of the Central Committee of the Communist Party of China and the State Council on Further Improving the Management of City Planning and Construction and other policy documents, to carry out reform and seek innovations, give full play to the dominant role of architects in civil building projects, upgrade the status of architects, safeguard lawful rights and interests of architects, focus attention on the successful delivery of pilot projects, positively and steadily advance the pilot program on architect responsibility system, and boost the construction quality of projects located in the Xiong'an New Area. The pilot program will start from December 15, 2018 and last for three years, and progress in the pilot program shall be reported in a timely fashion to the MOHURD's Department of Construction Market Regulation.