Hukou Reform for the New Century

Abstract

Over the last few decades incremental transformation of the hukou system is evident even as the fundamentals of the system have survived and adapted to the growth of the market economy. The introduction of temporary residency permits and new competitive hukou transfer categories have significantly liberalised labour flows and hukou transfer. While recent regulations have sort to standardise and centralise hukou guidelines local officials at the city and provincial level have issued their own policies, guidelines and planning goals since the 1990s and maintain the power to shape inward migration and settlement patterns to meet the perceived requirements of local development in the new century. The hukou system remains an important intervening variable in migration, employment and settlement patterns and continues to exert influence on the opportunities available to China’s internal migrants.