Sixteen provinces and municipalities have published their plans for reform of the hukou system for household residence registration. Most of them include cancelling the decades-long practice of dividing it into rural and non-rural categories. Comments:

By liberating surplus labor from the fields, the reform will help stabilize China's economic growth and prevent a potential sharp decline. However, while the national economy will benefit, local governments must pay the additional costs resulting from the increased demand for public services and social welfare. That is why local governments are so reluctant to propel the hukou reform.

Cai Fang, deputy chief of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, May 28