Reform to bridge the gap

The timetable the Ministry of Public Security has disclosed for reform of the household registration system gives 200 million migrant workers the hope of securing the identity of urban citizens in the coming seven years.

A new household registration system will be established by 2020, according to the timetable Vice-Minister Huang Ming revealed on Tuesday.

China's urbanization rate is estimated at about 52.6 percent while the number of registered urban residents accounts for only 35.3 percent of the total population. This means about 200 million villagers-turned-laborers are still not registered as urban residents although they work in cities.