BEIJING - China has started trials of clearing houses with limited property rights in some cities and is preparing to expand the campaign nationwide, according to a new statement posted by the Ministry of Land and Resources (MLR) on its website.

Houses with limited property rights are homes built on collectively owned rural land but sold to buyers who are not part of the collective land ownerships.

Chinese urban citizens are prohibited from buying such houses and such purchases do not enjoy legal protection, said Wang Zongya, an official with the MLR late last month.

But China's sky-high property prices have driven many home buyers to such housing as they are cheaper than those with full rights.

The ministry said it will firstly clean up housing projects which are still under construction or unsold, or those that have occupied farmland, to keep such projects from expanding.

It will then properly deal with homes that have already been sold on a case-by-case basis, according to the statement.