Urbanization push

China listed some 2,000 towns across the country as "key towns" to be developed into larger cities to accommodate the government's drive to urbanize the rural population and create jobs for surplus rural labor, the Ministry of Construction said.

The listing is meant to encourage local governments to focus their resources on a few small cities and towns that are relatively strong economically and can be grown into larger cities.

Key towns will enjoy preferential policies in areas such as land use, construction and financing.