BEIJING -- China's Ministry of Housing and Urban-Rural Development said Tuesday that it will conduct safety checks on ongoing urban rail construction projects starting later in May.

The move aims to promote the safety responsibilities of all parties concerned and to strengthen risk control management of those projects, said the ministry in a notice posted on its website.

The check will cover rail transport projects in 25 major Chinese cities, including Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Chongqing, the statement said.

Local urban-rural development authorities should seriously carry out these inspections while focusing on quality issues concerning project construction, investigation, design and surveillance, and identifying potential safety risks, it said.

For serious problems and potential risks detected during the campaign, the ministry will impose punishments according to law, it added.