Shenzhen will step up efforts to limit the total number of its long-term residents to 9 million by 2010.

"Shenzhen has seen the number of its long-term residents exceed 8.46 million at the of 2006 and it has already become one of most populated cities in the country with a population density now trailing only Hong Kong and Tokyo," Shenzhen's mayor, Xu Zongheng, said.

"We hope that by expediting the optimization process of the city's industry structure we can limit the number of its long-term residents to 9 million during the 11th Five- Year Plan."

According to a latest government report, the number of Shenzhen's long-term residents totaled 8.4643 million at the end of 2006 with its population density growing to 4,239 people per kilometer, more than three times Guangdong's capital city Guangzhou.

Xu is supported by the director of the Shenzhen Academy of Social Sciences, Le Zheng, who said that optimizing the city's industry structure was "the key" to controlling Shenzhen's rapid population growth.

"Shenzhen's population density has already exceeded other key cities such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou and it is now placing a burden on space, Le said.

He said "to solve this problem Shenzhen should adjust its industry structure from labor-intensified to high-end industries".

Tang Jie, secretary-general of the Shenzhen municipal government, agreed with Le. He said Shenzhen should rely not only on administrative means, but also re-adjustment of its enterprise structure to control its population.

"We will provide favorable policies to high-end industries such as those that are technology-oriented and capital-intensified to reduce the demand for low-skilled workers," Tang said.

Li Luoli, secretary-general of the Shenzhen Institute of Comprehensive Research and Development, also said that adjusting Shenzhen's industry structure was the "right way" for the city to solve its population problem.

"Shenzhen could consider eliminating some labor-intensified enterprises. This would help ease the population pressure," Li said.

Zheng Zizhen, director of the population research institute of Guangdong Academy of Social Sciences, said Shenzhen should establish a specific working body to formulate concrete population management policies.

"Besides, Shenzhen could also draw up its own regulations for residents based on market practices," Zhen said.

"Regulations should state clearly what criteria people must meet to reside in Shenzhen. Those qualified should be allowed to stay, and those not qualified, must leave.

"This way, the city's population growth will be better controlled and the overall quality of its residents improved."

A former visiting professor with Shenzhen University, Yang Sizhong, said: "Increasing Shenzhen's living costs such as apartment rents, transportation, water and electricity charges, and food prices appropriately is an effective way to control the city's population.

"Compared with other cities of the same development level in the world, Shenzhen's cost of living is still very low. Increasing it will help keep those who cannot afford it from moving to the city."

(China Daily May 16, 2007)