China has launched a new five-year action plan aimed at advancing urbanization by easing the transition of rural migrants into cities. Released on July 28, the “Five-Year Action Plan for Deeply Implementing the People-oriented New Urbanization Strategy” seeks to address challenges posed by the previous rapid urban growth and ensure more inclusive and sustainable urban development.
The action plan builds upon China’s previous urbanization efforts, which have seen a significant increase in urban population over recent decades. The country’s urbanization rate, which had grown from 17.9% in 1978 to 66.16% by 2023, has slowed in recent years, necessitating new measures to maintain momentum and address emerging issues.
Key elements of the new plan include comprehensive reforms to the household registration system, known as hukou, which has historically limited rural residents’ access to urban benefits. The new policies aim to make it easier for migrants to settle in cities by relaxing hukou restrictions, improving access to social services, and ensuring equal rights for migrant workers and their families.
The plan proposes several measures to facilitate urban migration:
- Loosening restrictions on household registration in cities with fewer than 3 million residents and easing conditions in cities with populations of 3 to 5 million.
- Enhancing the point-based settlement policies for larger cities and encouraging the cancellation of annual settlement quotas.
- Improving housing security by increasing the availability of affordable rental housing and integrating migrant workers into urban housing policies.
- Expanding vocational training and employment opportunities for rural migrants, particularly in high-demand sectors.
- Ensuring that migrant children have access to compulsory education and improving public school provisions.
Additionally, the action plan emphasizes the need for improved urban infrastructure and services to support the growing population. This includes developing less populated regions, enhancing transportation networks, and promoting balanced economic development across various areas.
Urbanization has been a key driver of China’s economic growth, contributing to increased consumer demand and investment in infrastructure. The action plan aims to sustain this growth by addressing the challenges of rapid urbanization and ensuring that the benefits of urban development are broadly shared.