The Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region decided to adopt the identity card system instead of the previous household registration system so that it will be much easier to manage the the country-to-city inflow.
For a long time in Guangxi, generations of the farmers were restricted to their small patches of land unless their offspring could go to university. As a result of the social development, to raise farmers' revenue has become an imminent problem.
According to statistics, there were 150 million spare laborers in the countryside, with an annual increase of 1 million. Therefore, to transfer these surplus laborers to the cities or towns can largely improve farmers' living conditions, said an expert.
However, these migrants face many obstacles in settlement, employment and offspring-education if they don't have registered permanent residence.
Using identity cards instead of registration books offers farmers equal rights to improve themselves and even join the competitive tide, said an expert. It shows the revolution of the household residency system is making progress, he added.
(Eastday.com 05/11/2001)
