China's capital will take measures to keep its permanent
residents within 16 million by 2010, according to an economic and
social development program for 2006-2010 to be discussed at the
municipal legislature's annual session.
The move aims to ease the pressure caused by fast-growing
population, which climbed to 14.93 million by the end of last year
and is very likely to exceed 16 million by 2010, said Professor
Zhai Zhenwu, director of the Population and Development Research
Center under the Renmin University of
China.
The population control target for 2010 was set after a careful
analysis based on the city's environment, and resources and
employment capabilities, said Zhang Yun, a research fellow of the
Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.
The expanding population that plagues this metropolis has
resulted in short supply of housing and other resources and
frequent traffic jams.
From 1991 to 2004, nearly two-thirds of the increased population
in Beijing came from other parts of the country. Professor Zhai
suggested the government give priority to limiting the number of
people from outside.
The key lies in "strengthening the role the market plays in
allocating resources," he said, referring to government efforts to
curb the overflow of people into Beijing.
According to the five-year program, Beijing will take a mixture
of economic, administrative and legal measures to better control
the "floating" population. A number of districts have issued orders
to keep records of rented houses and register migrant workers.
(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2006)