BEIJING, Aug. 15 (Xinhua) -- China has announced to hold the first competition for technology innovation in building and renovating restrooms in the country's rural areas, according to the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Affairs Thursday.

The competition was initiated by the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Engineering Planning and Design, which is under direct administration of the ministry.

Projects submitted are required to meet certain standards including good quality, low cost and easy maintenance, and could be replicated and promoted, according to the document of the contest.

The renovation of toilets in rural areas, especially in drought and freezing cold places, still face problems in technology and products, said the ministry.

In 2018, China built and renovated toilets in 10 million households, and in the first half of 2019, toilets in another 10 million households in rural areas are under construction and renovation, according to the ministry.

China launched a toilet revolution in 2015 to increase the number and sanitation of toilets at tourist sites.

In 2019, the central government plans to allocate 7 billion yuan (about 1 billion U.S. dollars) to help rural areas press ahead with the toilet revolution, and another 3 billion yuan was allocated for clean-up of rural areas in central and western China.