In the next five years, more and more rural workers are expected to move to urban areas, and become full-fledged residents. Ensuring that their children can stay with them and receive adequate education is a priority of the 13th Five-year plan.

The rate at which a country urbanizes is a crucial criteria in measuring its modernization level. The newly published 13th Five-Year plan sets two targets for urbanization. By 2020, the urbanization rate of permanent urban residents and registered permanent urban residents should raise 3.9 percent and 5.1 percent respectively in China.

When that happens 60 percent of China’s population will be classified as permanent urban residents, with at least 20 million rural workers moving to urban areas every year.

To achieve this goal, the government has proposed three “100 million people” projects. The first one proposes granting urban residency to around 100 million people with rural household registration and other permanent urban residents. The reforms would solve their identity problems.

Additionally, many people working in urban areas would be able to reunite with their families, and gain access to medical care, estate purchases, pensions and education. The new reforms would relax residency restrictions for people coming from rural areas.

Statistics show that the urbanization rate of China’s midwestern region lags behind the national average. The second “100 million people” project aims to encourage around 100 million rural residents to live in local towns and cities in the central and western regions. Part of this plan is creating attractive economic incentives by promoting business in the “North side of Tian Shan” economic zones.

Adding Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Yangtze River Delta Economic Zone, and Pearl River Delta Economic Zone, “two horizontal and three vertical” lines of cities will be created across China. By creating more business, new urban residents will have more employment opportunities.

To ensure that new urban residents have a place to live, the third “100 million people” project will attempt to complete the rebuilding of both rundown areas and “villages” in cities involving about 100 million people.

Additionally, a housing system that encourages both renting and purchasing, and will enable non-registered urban residents to apply for public rental housing, will be put in place. Direct rent subsidy will also be provided.

With all these projects in the works, new urban residents will ideally face an easier transition.