Codes and standards ensure wood buildings are constructed for safety and durability  Wood frame construction has superior seismic performance, even in the most severe earthquakes.
Fire safety is assured by fire-rated, finished assemblies, which have been fire-tested in China Different climatic conditions require appropriate detailing 22845
Surveys in China demonstrate the durability of wood buildings  
Design and construction practices are 5 backed by extensive research
Wood frame construction has superior seismic performance
Wood frame buildings are safer than concrete and masonry buildings in areas with a high risk of earthquakes. They save lives and reduce the cost of reconstruction.  Wood is strong, light and flexible. Wood buildings weigh less than concrete buildings. This reduces loads on the structure, as well as the danger of heavy weights falling from above. The flexibility of the wood  components allows the structure to deform and deflect momentarily in response to seismic forces without breakage, collapse or disconnection. Uplift and lateral loads are shared by the many wood members that make up the framework, the wood structural panels fastened to them,and the thousands of fasteners and connectors which tie the components together. This structural redundancy is stronger than predicted by conventional engineering analysis.
A survey of wood frame construction in severe earthquakes world-wide23
The survey covers wood frame buildings of all ages and provides evidence of the superior safety of wood frame buildings in severe earthquakes world-wide, including Japan and the United States.  
A very high proportion of wood platform frame buildings survived peak ground accelerations of 0.6 g and greater with no collapse or serious structural damage. The resulting injuries and deaths were few. There were very few specific failures, as for example from hillside collapses. Virtually all modern wood frame buildings survived with no visible damage.
Seismic safety
A survey of wood frame construction following the Wenchuan earthquake, Sichuan24.
A survey was conducted following the tragic earthquake of May 12, 2008. The evidence showed that wood frame buildings had outperformed buildings constructed from other materials. They suffered only minor damage, while many brick infill walls collapsed and concrete buildings suffered severe damage. In Dujiangyan, 40 km NW of Chengdu, about 21 km from the epicentre of  the Wenchuan earthquake, many concrete and masonry structures were seriously damaged. Many collapsed, including three school buildings. Although not all the concrete and masonry collapsed, masonry infill walls were severely damaged,causing potential danger to occupants.Reconstruction is now underway in the Sichuan area. Chinese authorities and specialists are working closely with Canadian and  European counterparts in the support of the rebuilding, which includes houses, schools, and special facilities. These are permanent structures,meeting all building code requirements.This is a good example of how light wood frame construction is proving to be cost-competitive in rural China, and responsive to local needs in regions where annual incomes are low. Moreover, these newly constructed wood-framed buildings are comfortable, energy-efficient,with lower annual energy costs, and resistant to severe earthquakes.
International scientists have been working closely with Chinese experts on seismic testing of wood frame building, using the shake test table facility at Tongji University. They aim to provide technical data on seismic performance. This will be used to develop building codes further, as  well as to establish seismic safety design guidelines for wood frame construction and wood hybrid structures. The seismic intensities used for testing were comparable to the extreme earthquakes of California.A full-scale, seven-storey mixed use condominium tower (six wood frame storeys above a one-storey steel structure) was tested. Conducted in Kobe, Japan, this was the largest full-scale earthquake test in the world. The building was subjected to a simulated quake that was 180 per cent of the Northridge earthquake in California, and suffered no significant damage. This demonstrates that even mid-rise wood buildings can survive the most severe earthquakes. The test used Japan’s massive E-Defense Shake Table, the largest shake table in the world. 建筑木材的安全性英文文献和中文翻译:http://www.751com.cn/fanyi/lunwen_15653.html