Business / Policy Watch

China unveils landmark urbanization plan

(Xinhua) Updated: 2014-03-17 09:46

Other principles set by the plan include coordinating urban and rural development, optimizing macro-level city layouts and integrating ecological civilization into the entire urbanization process.

By 2020, China's ratio of permanent urban residents to total population should reach about 60 percent, while residents with city hukou should account for about 45 percent of total population, according to the plan.

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The country will help 100 million migrant workers and other permanent urban residents to get urbanite status.

China will also optimize city layouts by enhancing the leading role of major cities, increasing the number of small and medium-sized cities and improving the service functions of small towns, the plan showed.

A scientific and reasonable urban development model should be adopted, with green production and consumption becoming the mainstream in urban economic activities.

The plan added that China should strive to push for harmonious and pleasant living conditions in cities by making basic public services accessible to all permanent urbanites and pursuing better ecology, more clean air and safe drinking water, the plan showed.

The plan will provide strategic and fundamental guidance for the healthy development of urbanization across the country during the seven- year period.

The CPC Central Committee and the State Council said in a circular Sunday that governments at various levels should enhance their understanding of the new type of urbanization and steer urbanization toward the right direction.

Local authorities should earnestly implement the plan based on their respective conditions to make sure that tasks set in the landmark plan will be fulfilled, according to the circular.

This is China's first official plan on urbanization, showcasing great significance the government attaches to its urbanization process.