The problems of China's "villages within cities" -- those formerly suburban areas that have been swallowed up by urban sprawl -- must be given top priority in China's urban planning, according to Wang Yaohua, vice chairman of the Fujian Provincial People's Political and Consultative Conference and vice president of the Fujian Normal University in a proposal put forward at the recent CPPCC session in Beijing.

With the rapid development of urbanization and the extension of urban areas, villages that used to form the transition area between urban and rural areas have been absorbed into downtown areas.

Wang gave as an example Fuzhou in Fujian Province where in recent years the downtown area has extended from 14.8 square km (5.71 square miles) to 39.18 square km (15.13 square miles). And in Beijing, suburban areas that used to exist outside its third-ring road now find themselves in the midst of an urban setting as prosperous urban areas have extended beyond Beijing's fourth- or even fifth-ring roads.

Wang acknowledged that local governments have made every effort to plan, construct and manage large and medium-sized cities so that they conform to the high requirements of modern urban development. However, "villages within cities"-- such as the Dazhongsi area of Beijing -- are creating an anomaly in the expanded urban environment with population, scale and economic conditions that differ from their surroundings. Out of synch with their surrounding areas, "villages within cities" are creating comparatively serious and conspicuous problems that jeopardize the progress and development of urbanization, directly or indirectly becoming the root of a disintegration of public security and the environment.

The situation is in need of immediate attention, Wang said.

"To form an organic urban whole and to realize its economic, social, environmental and ecologic benefits, we should make overall plans by taking all factors into consideration so that urban areas can develop evenly and in a coordinated way, and thus everybody is provided for," Wang said, who listed a number of specific problems with the "villages within cities."

The first is dual administration that has contributed to neglect of these "villages." Most of the land in the so-called "villages within the city" that are now within a city's administrative limits have been requisitioned by the state. The villager's residency status has been converted to a non-agricultural one. However, inherited old methods in the administrative systems and operating mechanisms within the "villages" present obstacles to the city's development.

Further, land use in these "villages within the city" is extremely mixed-up. Overlapping residential, industrial and commercial use of land, mixed new and old apartments, crowded buildings -- all of these highlight low efficiency in land utilization.

In most such villages, roads cannot meet the basic requirements of transportation and fire control standards. Electricity and telecommunication wires as well as water and gas pipelines are in disarray. Sewers become frequently blocked up. Garbage is everywhere, creating dirty corners in a bit of green land.

Also, large numbers of non-natives with complicated backgrounds are living in "village" houses. Feudal superstitious activities have been very popular in some villages that are out of tune with the social culture and ethics of a modern city. This exerts great pressure on public safety.

Due to historical reasons, most villagers are poorly educated. Nevertheless, relying on the high rental income, they are living a wealthy life. As a result, these villagers are picky in their job seeking. Many just lounge about and do no work at all.

As the process of village reform attempts to tackle these problems, Wang in his proposal called for attention to the following:

• Let government departments at all the levels be guided by state policies;

• Enhance supervisory work to enable scientific reform plans;

• Increase publicity work to educate both officials and the public about the value and significance of transforming these villages;

• Protect people's interests during the reform plans;

• Protect cultural heritages during the transformation because a large number of historical and cultural sites and relic are preserved in these villages.

Wang also emphasized that not all cities in China faced with the situation have done a bad job. For example, Zhuhai in Guangdong Province has resettled villagers after demolishing their villages within the city by encouraging real estate companies to take part in the transforming project.

Another example Wang offered is that of Hangzhou, provincial capital of east China's Zhejiang, where in 1998 the original administrative villages within the city were replaced by neighborhood communities and neighborhood committees were established to take charge of daily affairs. Guangzhou has replaced village committees within the city and by transforming them into stock companies to run former collective enterprises and properties according to the Corporation Law. A total of 158 villages will go through such kind of reform soon.

(By Zhang Yan, china.org.cn staff reporter, translated by Li Jingrong, Shao Da and Zhang Tingting, March 16, 2002)