Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on Sunday visited a low-income housing construction site in eastern Beijing, extending Labor Day holiday greetings to workers and stressing the central government's determination to stabilize prices of the real estate and to advance a healthy development of the sector.

"I chose this low-income housing construction site for a visit on Labor Day, which fell on Sunday, as the central government has attached great importance to the construction of new low-income housing units," said the premier.

He reiterated the central government's unswerving determination to work to ensure that the prices of the real estate remain largely stable and to strive to advance a healthy growth of the sector.

"We are determined to bring down the high-flying housing prices in some cities and make sure that the prices of housing could return to a reasonable level," said Wen.

"Our determination is unswerving that special care is given to the needy and low-income families and make sure they can afford housing," he said.

While visiting the Wangsiying low-income housing project in Beijing's Chaoyang District, Wen wore a hard hat and went inside a newly capped building designed for low-rent housing to check a two-room apartment there.

He also visited workers' dorms and the canteen.

Wangsiying low-income housing project is the largest of its kind in Beijing which has 7,160 units of affordable apartments with a floor space of 640,000 square meters.

To cool down the skyrocketing home prices which is a major source of public complaints, the Chinese government pledged to build 36 million units of affordable housing in five years.

The Beijing municipal government plans to construct 1 million units of affordable housing between 2011 and 2015.

The premier reiterated that the proportion of affordable housing should take up 20 percent of the total housing supply in the nation. In Beijing, the standard is up to 30 percent.

Wen was pleased when he was told the community under construction is adjacent to a subway line, and would have school, kindergarten and clinic facilities.

He also extended gratitude to the construction workers who migrated to cities from their rural hometowns, noting the they are indispensable forces for the country's construction drive.