The Hukou Housing System

The Hukou system is a government rule that says only those with who have applied and been approved for immigration are allowed to move between areas. This system was employed by China some time ago to regulate the balance between rural and urban areas. For instance, when China was rising to economic strength there was a huge influx of immigrants from the countryside into the cities. Hukou helped manage this surge of migrants, but as it was not strictly enforced, many people moved to the cities illegally anyways. Even today there are many citizens in Beijing and other major cities who are not registered to live in those cities. Even though this may seem to make little difference since the Hukou system is not heavily enforced, in reality, this presents a major problem to China, its people, and its government. If you are not registered to live in a certain area you do not receive some major benefits that you would otherwise be entitled to. Health care, food supply, and other benefits are restricted to those with proper registration. Another one of these benefits is education. This ties back to my previous post about the Chinese preschool shortage. Those without registration can only send their children to local schools by paying a hefty price. As you can see, what was once a rationalized solution to a growing immigration problem is now a heavy burden on the people of China. It is one of the many problems that are lowering the quality of life of the average Chinese.