Q: China artificially divides its people into urban
population and rural population, resulting in inequalities social
and economic status. What are the reasons for such a division? What
will the government do to solve the issue, so as to eradicate
discrepancies between urban and rural areas and to promote a more
coordinated development of the two?
A: The urban-rural classification system was adopted during the
time when China practiced a planned economy.? Such a division
was based on a household registration system, which deprived the
rural population of grain supply, employment opportunities and
social welfare benefits enjoyed by its urban counterpart. Further
more, it restricted rural people's freedom to chose where to live,
work and to get married.
?
Though a number of attempts have been made in to rectify the
household registration system since the country started to
implement the reforms and the open policy in 1979, little
development has been achieved so far, due to the complexity of the
issue. Inequalities and discrepancies still persist between urban
and rural populations.
?
With the deepening of the reforms and the implementation a series
of measures to promote coordinated development of urban and rural
areas, changes have taken place in the fundamental structure upon
which the double-tier society has been formed. The household
contract responsibility system replaced the people's commune system
in 1983. The practice to force farmers to hand in all agricultural
products t the State was phased out in the late 1980s.? And
the4 rationed supply of basic living necessities in urban areas was
abolished in 1993. The government has also started to reform the
household registration system, urban employment system and social
security system.
Entering the 21rst Century, the reform to overhaul the
discriminating household registration system has been introduced
nationwide. Starting from March 2001, farmers have been allowed to
enter freely small townships under the county level. Requirements
restricting farmers to live and work in large and medium-sized
cities have also been relaxed. At present, more than 100 million
farmers work in cities. On national average, salary income has
accounted for one third of farmers' total annual income.
At the same time, the government has taken budgetary, tax and
other policy measures to contain the widening of the gap between
urban and rural areas. It is hoped that industrialization and
urbanization will divert more and more farmers from the farming
sector to non-farming sectors. It is expected that by the year
2020, China' urbanization rate will have increased from the present
40% to 55%. That will create favorable conditions to completely
close the gap between urban and rural areas.