Population will shrink as demand eases

China's mega cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Shenzhen, have become attractive "gold mines" luring people from undeveloped areas in other parts of the country.

Large population inflows have caused a series of social issues - shortage of resources, pressure on the environment and unemployment.

In a bid to deal with this, the draft of Beijing's 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015) states that the local authorities will bring in measures to regulate population. The capital would also form a demographic frame, with proper scope and optimized structure, to achieve the sustainable development of the city, said the draft.