Governments Build Ghost Offices

Not due to lack of demand. In Jiangsu and Guangxi province there are newly built and renovated office spaces, but no one dares move into the new buildings because last July, the central government passed a rule stating that no new buildings should be built for the next 5 years. An official in Jiangsu said that when the project started, there weren't as strict regulations, now no one dares go against the law and move in.

江苏等多地新建办公楼现值 因风声太紧无人敢搬进

Background from March 2014: Ban on new official buildings enforced

The central government vowed on Wednesday to further push ahead with a ban on the construction of new government buildings as part of an ongoing frugality campaign.

So far, 147 officials have been investigated and 55 punished for violations, and supervision will be strengthened, according to a statement released after a State Council executive meeting presided over by Premier Li Keqiang.

The central authorities introduced a five-year ban in July on the construction of government buildings. But some local authorities ignored the rules, the statement said.

The central government will encourage the exposure of unapproved new government building projects and hold those officials accountable who failed to rectify the mistakes.

It will also increase supervision and inspection of public funds to prevent the money from being used to construct government buildings, according to the statement.