The new type of human-centered urbanization, which differs from the past materialized urbanization, includes at least three meanings: the citizenization of rural floating population; the improvement of urban social quality; and the rationalization of urban regional distribution. The citizenization of rural floating population forms the emphasis and difficulty of the new-type of urbanization, while the latter two to a large extent help coordinate and promote the citizenization of rural floating population .

Citizenization of rural floating population neglected

China’s urbanization ratio of its registered population was 25 percent in 2000. By 2013, it had only increased by 11 percent. This indicates the annual urbanization growth of the registered population was around 0.9 percent during the 13 years. In 2000, the urbanization ratio of the permanent population was 9.8 percent higher than that of the registered population. By 2013, it climbed to 17 percent, indicating that the permanent population grew faster than the registered population over the past decade, highlighting the increasingly severe problem of “semi-urbanization” in China.

Over the past decade, China’s conservative urbanization policy passively dealt with citizenization of the rural floating population. Real urbanization, namely household registration urbanization, is not aimed at the rural floating population. Instead it targets population growth from migration, people living in suburban areas after a village has undergone reform or change to a residential community, and graduates of universities and technical secondary schools, including domestic graduate students and overseas students.

The Third Plenary Session of the 16th Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and the subsequent Central Urbanization Work Conference both proposed broadening the hukou (household registration) system’s management. The current centralized hukou policy includes complete removal of hukou restrictions in towns and small cities, gradual easing of restrictions in medium cities, setting of reasonable conditions for settling in larger cities, and strict controls on the size of the populations of megacities. Policies and distribution of the rural floating population in different urban areas are inconsistent. Over 60 percent of rural floating populations live in big cities and megacities because they have more employment opportunities, as well as better infrastructure and benefits, than other urban areas. However, amid concern that big cities and megacities cannot bear the pressure of large populations, the government hasn’t broadened settling conditions in such areas. Rural floating populations may settle in towns and small cities, but in these areas there are fewer job opportunities and comparatively poorer public services and social benefits.

Four structural mismatches

From the above it can be seen that there are four structural mismatches in China’s current urbanization. The first is the mismatch between rights and opportunities. There are no necessarily good opportunities for employment, development and living in urban areas where rights and interests are offered. On the contrary, urban areas where there are good opportunities for employment and development don’t let go of rights and interests.

The second is the mismatch between population distribution and policy. Cities with greater floating populations don’t let go of policies for settling down, while towns with smaller floating populations just do the opposite.

The third is the mismatch between rights and responsibilities. Rural floating populations in big cities and megacities make much greater contributions than they do in towns and small cities, but they cannot get corresponding rights. It is the same with different levels of governments in the process of urbanization.

The fourth is the mismatch between property rights and citizenization. Rural floating populations cannot effectively ensure property rights and relevant interests that they had previously in rural areas in the process of citizenization.

To promote urban and rural comprehensive reform

Urban and rural comprehensive reform must be promoted in a bid to effectively implement the new-type of human-centered urbanization. So-called urban and rural comprehensive reform includes the following aspects:

Firstly, reform of the integration of urban and rural markets can make urban and rural production elements obtain positions with the same rights, giving play to the decisive role of markets in the allocation of resources.

Secondly, reform of integration and equalization of social insurance and public services between urban and rural areas, as well as between urban areas, can give people greater equality in rights and opportunities, especially equal opportunities for migration. The two-way free floating and migration between urban and rural areas as well as between urban areas may dissolve the dilemma of urbanization in big cities and megacities.

Thirdly, guide the transfer of industries to medium and small towns with more favorable policies to further relieve the population pressure in big cities and megacities.

Fourthly, promote the reform of financial powers and responsibilities system and establish between different levels of governments the governance system and structure where financial powers match responsibilities.

The author is from the Institute of Sociology under the Chinese Academy of Social Science.

The Chinese version appeared in Chinese Social Sciences Today, No. 602, May 30, 2014.

Chinese link: http://www.csstoday.net/tebiecehua/89806.html

Translated by Yu Hui

Revised by Tom Fearon