NPC Will Likely Not Consider Hukou Reform Law in 2005

Chinese public security sources indicate that reform of the Chinese hukou (residence permit) system will not be on the National People's Congress's legislative calendar in 2005, according to an article in the Beijing News. Hukou status often determines an individual's ability to obtain key public services, and rural migrants lacking local hukou in urban areas often face significant discrimination. The hukou system lacks a clear legal basis, with a confusing assortment of overlapping national and local regulations governing both urban and rural residents. In recent years, many local governments have reformed regulations governing the treatment of non-local hukou holders (for information on recent reforms in Beijing, click here). While it has frequently debated hukou reform, the Chinese government has delayed comprehensive national reform repeatedly.