18.12.2012. China has pledged to speed up
reform of its household-registration system as part of its urbanization drive,
the strongest indication yet that the country is preparing to loosen controls
on the movements of its rural population.
China's household-registrations system, or
"hukou," prevents rural people who move to cities from becoming
official urban residents, thus barring their access to local benefits such as
health care and public education. Analysts say reform of the system, which
dates back to the Maoist era, is essential for true urbanization to occur in
China.
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