Residency rules to be relaxed

Restrictions on who can apply for permanent residency in cities are to be relaxed for selected workers, including those from the countryside, to encourage a new form of urbanization, the State Council said over the weekend.

In a statement released after a meeting on Friday, the nation's highest executive body said revisions to the registration system, known as hukou, would further encourage the integration of migrant workers in cities, as well as drive investment and domestic consumption.

The State Council said it will relax the rules on permanent residency in most cities for university graduates, skilled technicians and those returning after receiving an education overseas, as well as the restrictions on rural workers.