Hukou reform needs to balance residents' interests

The State Council has finished soliciting public opinions about the draft regulation on the household registration system, which is expected to reform the decades-old hukou system and grant those migrating from rural to urban areas equal access to public services in towns and cities. Comments:

It is common sense that the migrant population needs equal social services; the question is, who will pay? The central government needs to make clear how much contribution it will make to cover the additional costs, so that local authorities will support the reform instead of curbing it for their own interests.

Qiao Xiaochun, a professor in demographic studies at Peking University, Jan 5

The new regulation on the residence permit, by promising to offer nine equal public services and six conveniences to the migrant population, represents huge progress. However, more needs to be done to better coordinate interests among the regional authorities and different groups of residents.

China Youth Daily, Jan 5

Resources such as education, medicine and housing are already limited in cities especially the metropolises; the permanent residents might be unsatisfied if their new neighbors get more. This problem must be solved to rally wide support for the reform.

Bian Xiuquan, a law professor at China University of Political Science and Law, Jan 5

Local governments rely too much on selling land as a revenue source. When the realty market withers, heavily indebted local governments will fail to provide enough public services to residents; therefore the reform on residence rights involves more than expected, and it will be a long process.

Zhang Juwei, a researcher on labor economy at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, cnr.cn, Jan 5