L'urbanisation en Chine (texte en anglais)

Urbanization and Hukou system in China.

The aim of this presentation is to introduce the Hukou system in china and how China organizes urbanization.

I. Introduction

There is nearly 4,000 years that the urbanisation began in China (in fact, of the Neolithic villages had started to appear in the river valleys thousand years before) and today the country knows an expansion of a scale without precedent.

At the end of the Forties, China counted 69 cities. In 2007, it counted 670, that is to say nearly ten times more. The increase in urbanisation is the consequence of the rural migration, as well as natural enlarging, which leads to the expansion of small communes which from now on are classified like cities.Among these cities, 89 have a population higher than a million people, exceeding thus largely the numbers noted in other large countries such as the United States which count 37 of this size of them or India which counts 32 of them.

In a world characterized by an unslung urbanisation, China should play a significant role, especially because of its size and the speed to which it changes. In 1980, the Chinese urban population rose to 191 million people. By 2007, one counted 594 emigrant, inhabitant million not understood.Approximately half of the Chinese population currently lies in cities. At the time of the World summit of the cities which will bring together political officials in June, the phenomenal urbanisation of China will be probably a subject of predilection, at the same time in terms of strategies of adaptation, as well as advantages and challenges met by the country.

II. An urbanization very fast but inadequate

i) Advantages

Low level of urban poverty and unemployment.

Thanks to the rapid growth of the Chinese economy, poverty in urban area was contained. According to the estimates, it would touch 4 to 6% of the population. Unemployment rate in urban environment is low also accounting in a fork from 3 to 4%.

Decentralisation.

Another essential component of the success of the Chinese urbanisation is the transfer of powers of the public services and many administrative offices to the municipal governments. In 2005, the satisfaction degree of the Chinese nationals with the local governments increased to 72%, a rate largely higher than that recorded in many of other countries, in particular the United States.

Containment of the tentacular expansion.

China also showed frugality as for the land use booked with the urban development, since the cities occupy currently approximately 4,4% of the entire surface of the grounds.

ii) Strategy

(1) Hukou

(a) Introduction

The hukou urban made it possible to ensure each town people an access to housing, to t food by the means of rights and financial aids. If this government aid decreased in the years 1980 during the liberalization of the economy, Hukou remained important for the access to specific employment, registration in the best schools and the purchase of housing in urban area. Moreover, the hukou conditions

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