With land use rights now starting to come to the end of the terms, what happens when they expire is an issue of great concern to property owners. In response to such concerns, the central government has said it is looking into the issue. It has asked people to be patient while it does so, and pledged to protect citizens' property.

As the money they make from selling land use rights is a main source of revenue for local governments, the common worry among homeowners is they will have to pay large sums of money, in the form of fees and taxes, to extend their rights to use the land on which their houses are built.

Few people doubt that local governments will seek to make money by charging people hefty fees to renew their land use rights.

It is time to solve this pressing issue and reassure people about the security of their property. The central government must be cautious and prudent in handling this sensitive issue. As it has vowed to establish the rule of law, it is time to amend the law so it clarifies the extending of property owners' land use rights.