Benefits should spread to farmers

The Communist Party of China Central Committee and the State Council have issued a series of policies this year on the reform of the household registration (hukou) system.

The reform of the hukou system, which for long has prevented rural residents from permanently settling in cities and hindered urban-rural development, got a shot in the arm this year from the policies. And with the Party and governments at the local levels also exploring ways to reform the hukou system, 2014 has been a breakthrough year for the reform process.

The hukou reform is a complicated project that requires overall consideration and differential treatment depending on actual local conditions, such as the size of a population. So, cities and towns should implement hukou reform according to local capabilities and development potential, as well as the real conditions of farmers-turned-workers, including their length of service and period of residence in urban areas.