Government and Policy
New residence permits to end discrimination
By Xie Jingwei (chinadaily.com.cn)
Updated: 2010-01-06 17:35
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Ten Chinese cities have piloted a new residence permit system to replace the existing temporary system in a bid to provide equal rights to migrants, reported Qianlong.com today.
Most of the ten who took part in the two year move are comparably developed coastal cities, such as Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhuhai, Shenzhen and Foshan.
With new residence permits, migrants benefit from five more rights in social security and employment. Five of the ten cities also offer the opportunity to apply for permanent residence certificates after holding the new permit for five years.
Beijing is mulling reform of its residence management system and is expected to revoke the temporary residence permit later this year, revealed Miao Lin, vice director of Beijing Comprehensive Administration Office.
China's temporary residence permit system has long been criticized for its pervasive negative effects on people's welfare and economic efficiency.
"The temporary residence permit system is extremely lagging behind cities' development and leads to discrimination and slow process of urbanization," said Han Deyun, a member of National People's Congress and lawyer from southwestern Chongqing Municipality.
