Agriculture Reference
In-Depth Information
Urbansaton n Chna beng behnd other countres s manly a result of
the previous central government policies restricting rural-urban migration
and growth of large ctes. Some of these restrctons have been removed
over the past decade, however, rural-urban migration is still partially
restricted by the urban household registration system, job entry barriers,
non-access or harder access to health care benefits and schooling, and
public security protection, for example, against rural migrants. The low
level, or lack, of rural education, job training, and employment information
services are also barriers against rural-urban migration. Policy adjustments
to remove these restrictions, to improve rural education, and to provide
government servces on job tranng and employment nformaton servces
are essental for acceleratng urbansaton.
The current urban economy provdes lmted opportunty for rural
mgrants because the number and sze of ctes s lmted. Expanson of
the urban economy will provide employment opportunities, especially in
China's under-developed services sector, which has a significantly higher
proporton n the exstng urban economy than n the rural economy. It s the
government's responsibility to improve urban planning, urban infrastructure,
and publc utltes n order to promote urban development. Wth these
changes, many small cities and towns can be expected to become large
or medum szed ctes.
Conclusion
The agricultural sector in China is seen as being labour-redundant, largely
as the result of polces restrctng the development of urban areas. These
polces are also seen as a major reason for Chna's large and growng
rural-urban income gap. The situation is worsening after the opening of
China's grain market resulting from its WTO accession. In particular, the
over-regulated domestic grain market and government pricing conflict with
the new situation of openness, since these result in over-supply of grains.
It s suggested that the domestc gran market should be lberalsed and
the gran prcng system should be deregulated.
For further solutions to the import shock to the agricultural sector
as the result of WTO accession, the roles of rural industrialisation and
