2016年CRI China's Hukou Reform Highlighted at the NPC Session

 

Song Ying is a white-collar worker living in Shanghai. She moved there two years ago from Ningxia Hui Autonomous¹ Region. After some serious efforts, she acquired a local hukou. Life has since become much easier for her.

"First, it is far more convenient for me to process documents, licenses² and such. Second, it is easier to find a job because companies generally prefer to hire candidates with a local hukou."

Song is lucky, as getting a hukou in a big city can be next to impossible. According to the National Bureau of Statistics, more than 8 million people living and working in Beijing are doing so without a local hukou.

Yang Liu is one of them. She explains why she wants to get that elusive³ hukou so badly.

"Most importantly, a Beijing resident can enjoy many social perks⁴, which are not available to migrants. For example, if I want to travel to Taiwan on my own, I simply can't when my hukou is from Hebei. I have to be a Beijinger to do that sort of thing."

Yang is not the only one who thinks that way. In fact, social perks attached to one's hukou are a big selling point for most people. And that inevitably⁵ leads to problems.

Peng Xizhe, director at the State Innovative⁶ Institute for Public Management and Public Policy Studies at Fudan University, elaborates.

"We think the hukou system is very important because our social management and public services are based on this system. Although it was originally designed as a household registration⁷ system, it became much more than that. In effect, you can get different social welfare depending on where your hukou is. That causes problems."

So what's the solution? NPC Deputy Cai Jiming makes some suggestions.

"We can first list the differences between local residents and migrants in housing, medical care, education, employment, unemployment insurance, and pension. Then, we try to abolish these distinctions one by one. If we achieve that, we can say 'mission accomplished⁸.'"

Cai's vision cannot be realized overnight, but there has been progress. Last December, provisional regulations on residence cards started being implemented⁹ in Beijing.

Du Peng, director of the Information Center for Aging Studies in Renmin University of China, explains how residence cards can contribute to social fairness.

"If I want to work in the city and I have a residence card, I can get access to related information and receive training. In other words, if residence cards can guarantee more welfare gradually, hukou will eventually become useless."

And speaking of welfare, NPC Deputy Han Deyun is determined¹⁰ to make one thing happen.

"We must make sure migrants who have residence cards can take their children with them and these children should have access to education."

That echoes the concern of Zhou Zhaojun, who has lived in Beijing for 26 years.

"I now have a proper job and I also bought an apartment. The only thing that bothers me is my children's education. In Beijing, if you don't have a hukou, you cannot participate in the college entrance examination."

Although the situation has not changed just yet, Zhou is optimistic. He believes his problem will be solved in the near future.

1 autonomous   

adj.自治的；独立的

参考例句：

• They proudly declared themselves part of a new autonomous province.他们自豪地宣布成为新自治省的一部分。
• This is a matter that comes within the jurisdiction of the autonomous region.这件事是属于自治区权限以内的事务。

2 licenses   

n.执照( license的名词复数 )v.批准，许可，颁发执照( license的第三人称单数 )

参考例句：

• Drivers have ten days' grace to renew their licenses. 驾驶员更换执照有10天的宽限期。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• Jewish firms couldn't get import or export licenses or raw materials. 犹太人的企业得不到进出口许可证或原料。 来自辞典例句

3 elusive   

adj.难以表达(捉摸)的；令人困惑的；逃避的

参考例句：

• Try to catch the elusive charm of the original in translation.翻译时设法把握住原文中难以捉摸的风韵。
• Interpol have searched all the corners of the earth for the elusive hijackers.国际刑警组织已在世界各地搜查在逃的飞机劫持者。

4 perks   

额外津贴，附带福利，外快( perk的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• Perks offered by the firm include a car and free health insurance. 公司给予的额外待遇包括一辆汽车和免费健康保险。
• Are there any perks that go with your job? 你的工作有什么津贴吗？

5 inevitably   

adv.不可避免地；必然发生地

参考例句：

• In the way you go on,you are inevitably coming apart.照你们这样下去，毫无疑问是会散伙的。
• Technological changes will inevitably lead to unemployment.技术变革必然会导致失业。

6 innovative   

adj.革新的，新颖的，富有革新精神的

参考例句：

• Discover an innovative way of marketing.发现一个创新的营销方式。
• He was one of the most creative and innovative engineers of his generation.他是他那代人当中最富创造性与革新精神的工程师之一。

7 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

8 accomplished   

adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的

参考例句：

• Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。
• Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

9 implemented   

v.实现( implement的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；贯彻；使生效

参考例句：

• This agreement, if not implemented, is a mere scrap of paper. 这个协定如不执行只不过是一纸空文。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
• The economy is in danger of collapse unless far-reaching reforms are implemented. 如果不实施影响深远的改革，经济就面临崩溃的危险。 来自辞典例句

10 determined   

adj.坚定的；有决心的

参考例句：

• I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。
• He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。