China's State Council took steps to further restrict speculative property investments, including allowing banks to refuse additional mortgages for home buyers who already own two or more properties.

国国务院采取措施进一步抑制房地产市场投机。措施之一是，对于已经有两套或以上房产的买房人，银行可以拒绝为其发放新的按揭贷款。

In an indication that Beijing is increasingly worried about runaway property prices, the State Council, the country's cabinet, said Saturday that local governments can take temporary measures to limit the number of property purchases each investor makes within a certain period.
国务院上周六表示，地方政府可以采取临时性措施，限制每位投资者在一定时期内的房产购买数量。这显示出北京对房地产价格的快速上涨正越来越感到担忧。

The steps follow moves by the Chinese central government Thursday to raise minimum down-payment levels and mortgage rates for certain home buyers, after data showed property prices in 70 of China's large and medium-sized cities rose 11.7% in March from a year earlier, the fastest pace since China began releasing the data in July 2005.
上周四，中央政府提高了部分买房人的最低首付款比例和按揭贷款利率。此前数据显示，3月份中国70个大中城市的房价较一年前上涨了11.7%，这是中国于2005年7月开始发布这项数据以来的最大涨幅。
 

The government's notice Saturday appears aimed at encouraging local governments and banks to even more strictly control credit for speculative property transactions.
政府上周六通知的目的，似乎是要鼓励地方政府和银行更加严格地控制提供给投机性房产交易的信用贷款。

'Overly high housing prices and overly fast price growth has increased the difficulty for people to seek residence through markets,' the State Council said in the notice. 'It also increased financial risks, which aren't beneficial to balanced social development.'
国务院通知说：“房价过高、上涨过快，加大了居民通过市场解决住房问题的难度，增加了金融风险，不利于经济社会协调发展。”
 

'Each region's governmental departments should fully realize the threat of overly fast property-price growth and seriously implement the central government's real-estate-market policy adjustments,' it said.
通知说：“各地区、各有关部门必须充分认识房价过快上涨的危害性，认真落实中央确定的房地产市场调控政策。”

The State Council said banks should 'greatly increase' minimum down payments and mortgage rates for those buying third homes or beyond, if a mortgage is to be issued at all, It didn't give concrete targets
国务院表示，对贷款购买第三套及以上住房的，如果要发放按揭贷款，银行应当“大幅度提高”其最低首付款比例和贷款利率。对此国务院没有给出具体目标。

It also said banks should stop issuing mortgages to nonresidents who haven't paid local taxes or welfare-benefit fees for more than a year.
国务院还表示，对不能提供1年以上当地纳税证明或社会保险缴纳证明的非本地居民暂停发放购买住房贷款。
 

The State Council reiterated the rules unveiled Thursday that banks should raise the minimum down payment for second-home purchases to 50% from 40%, while requiring mortgage rates to be no less than 1.1 times benchmark rates. The State Council also set a 30% minimum down payment for purchases of first homes that are larger than 90 square meters.
国务院重申上周四公布的政策说，银行应当把二套房最低首付款比例从40%调高到50%，同时贷款利率不得低于基准利率的1.1倍。国务院同时还为首次购房面积超过90平方米的家庭设置了30%的最低首付款比例。

The government also reiterated that local governments should increase land supply for residential housing development and expedite construction of government-subsidized housing.
国务院还重申，地方政府应当加大居住用地的有效供应，同时加快保障性住房的建设。

The State Council also said the government will strictly monitor land purchases and fund raising of developers to prevent speculation on land prices.
国务院又称，政府将严格监管开发商的购地和融资，防止炒地行为。

Local governments need to file reports to the central government on audits of local developers by the end of June, the State Council said.

国务院表示，地方政府要对本地开发商进行一次检查，检查处理结果要在6月底之前上报国务院。