Pensions plan

Dealing with the conditions in the countryside could go a long way to reducing the number of homeless people in the cities.

In some impoverished rural areas, where even basic transportation is undeveloped, it can be difficult for families to improve their living standards, making begging an attractive option.

"If villagers led decent lives at home, they wouldn't come (to cities) to be looked down on by others (as beggars)," said Xia Xueluan, a sociologist at Peking University.

He suggested assistance center should run courses that boost the knowledge and skill bases of "those who have the ambition to be self-reliant, which would at least give them equal opportunities" to find work.

A 60-year-old woman who gave her name as Wang said she moved to the capital five years ago from Shuozhou, Shanxi province, after she was abandoned by her only child, an adopted son. She now survives by collecting empty bottles in and around Beijing Railway Station.

At about midnight on Dec 15, she had just found a seat in a warm waiting room and had successfully avoided a ticket check by police.

"I only earn about 3 yuan during the frosty weather," she said, as she ate from a plastic bag of leftovers she found in a trashcan. "There are more drink bottles in summer and I can make up to 10 yuan every day then."

When asked if she was willing to visit an assistance center, she replied: "I'm all on my own. I don't want to go home. My life there would be no better than here."

Experts say her case highlights serious flaws in social security in rural areas.

The government unveiled a new countryside endowment insurance program last September, which grants a minimum of 55 yuan a month to villagers over 60. However, it is still at the pilot stage and will not be rolled out nationwide until at least 2020.

"Needless to say, (people in) other places don't even have (access to) pensions," said Hu Xingdou of Beijing Institute of Technology.

According to Hu's calculations, just 300 billion yuan a year would be enough to pay pensions of 200 to 300 yuan to every person above the age of 60 nationwide.

China, which has an annual revenue of 6.85-trillion-yuan can afford that, he said.

To ease the burden of homelessness, officials nationwide are also being encouraged to find new ways to increase farmers' incomes and narrow the urban-rural divide.

Experts anticipate a further reform of the land system, which should enable farmers to make profits, rather than allow local governments to benefit from land contracting and development.

In addition, authorities should push more insurance companies to offer services to rural customers, a market that few are currently interested in since compensations for injuries or death far outweigh potential revenue.

"This could at least guarantee (villagers) basic living costs in case they encounter crop failure or housing collapse," said Hu.

With more security in the countryside, experts say fewer people would be inclined to take a risk on city streets.