China’s public bathroom blitz goes nationwide as Xi Jinping rallies forces in the ‘toilet revolution’

China is taking its multibillion-yuan “toilet revolution” nationwide as the door closes on a three-year bathroom blitz at tourist sites.

Chinese President Xi Jinping said public toilets throughout the country – from rural villages to urban areas – should be upgraded to help improve living standards, Xinhua reported on Monday.

“Toilet issues are not petty matters but an important aspect of improving infrastructure in urban and rural areas,” Xi was quoted as saying.

China’s ‘toilet revolution’ is almost complete … but it’s still far behind global standards

In his report to the Communist Party’s national congress report last month, Xi said satisfying the public’s desire for a decent life was the administration’s main challenge.

In 2015, China started a three-year campaign to improve the standard of public toilets at tourist sites across the country.

In April that year, Xi said upgrading toilet facilities was integral to improving conditions in China’s tourism industry.

As of last month, more than 68,000 public toilets had been refurbished, 20 per cent more than the original target, according to Xinhua.

The overhaul was backed by more than 1 billion yuan (US$152 million) in central government funding and over 20 billion yuan from local authorities.