China has begun making a plan to reconstruct the earthquake-hit regions of Sichuan Province. The reconstruction process is expected to finish in 8 years. Our reporter Liao Jibo has more.

Reporter:

Qi Ji, the vice minister of the Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development, says China will rebuild facilities and residential buildings in the quake region over the next three years.

"We are presently planning the scale and location for reconstruction, including transportation infrastructure and other public services. In addition, we will assess the extent of damage to the cities, especially those with a long history and important culture."

He says that because of the severity of the earthquake, the planning process will involve a lot of work.

"We will first conduct a thorough investigation into the severity of damage to residences so that we can plan the reconstruction scale and budget."

Tang Kai, another senior official with the Ministry, says that after the three years of reconstruction, another five years will be needed to revive the economy and society in the quake region.

''In the first three years, we hope that the quake region can recover to its prior level through the building of infrastructure, public facilities and residential housing. During the five following years, we are looking for economic and social development in the quake region.''

Officials say that the present plan is subject to change according to actual conditions. In addition, the reconstruction effort involves many sectors, so support and cooperation is essential.

Liao Jibo, CRI news.