State Council announces more easing of hukou system

China will begin to relax its hukou, or household registration, system by removing the distinction between rural and urban residents, Bloomberg reported, citing a Tuesday statement from the State Council. Rural people won’t have to give up rights to countryside land and collective undertakings to get city permits, according to the statement. The shift reflects a broader push to increase China’s urban population from 54% in 2013 to 60% in 2020. The government also hopes giving migrant workers city permits will spur demand in the property market and wean the economy’s dependence on infrastructure investment.