More cities in China witnessed a rise in the prices of new homes in April, compared with March, as the government continued to curb property prices, according to official data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS).
Of the 70 major cities monitored, 56 recorded an increase in the prices of new homes, while home prices decreased in nine cities and remained steady in five others.
In March, 49 cities saw home prices climb, while 12 saw them decline.
Beijing was among the major cities that saw prices rise by a marginal 0.1 percent, while Shanghai witnessed an increase of 0.3 percent, according to NBS.
The Chinese government has been trying to control property prices, which in many regions have increased far beyond what an average income earner can afford.
Since late 2009, the government has imposed various property cooling measures, such as banning the purchase of second homes in some cities and levying trial property taxes in Chongqing and Shanghai.
To pacify growing public resentment over high property costs, the government has promised to supply more land for low-cost housing this year.
The April data represents the fourth monthly poll since the government replaced the nationwide property index by publishing data for individual cities.
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