Chongqing to roll out hukou point system

In an effort to deepen reforms of the hukou system, Chongqing will usher in a new residential permit system giving urban and rural residents the same access to social welfare and public services, the city announced at a news conference on Monday.

The current hukou, or household registration, system divides residents into urban and rural categories, with unequal benefits in education, social welfare and employment.

"Under the new system, all residents will be registered under the same residential permit and covered by the same basic benefits," said Zhang Zhikui, spokesman for the Chongqing municipal government. "By 2020, the urbanization rate of Chongqing will reach 65 percent."