Migration And Poverty Alleviation In China

China has achieved remarkable progress in poverty alleviation since the start of its reforms. Rural-urban labour migration on an unprecedented scale played a vital role in rural income growth, poverty reduction and economic development. The present publication argues that although migration in China has unique institutional characteristics, the experiences and lessons to be drawn from considering migration as a development approach have important implications for the shaping of appropriate developmental policies.

China has achieved remarkable progress in poverty alleviation since the start of its reform process, with rural poverty having dropped from 30.7 per cent in 1978 to 2.6 per cent in 2005. Rural-urban labour migration on an unprecedented scale played a vital role in rural income growth, poverty reduction and economic development. Empirical evidence shows that while the vast rural to urban migration does not significantly increase urban income poverty, labour market discrimination and social exclusion expose rural migrants to many risks and vulnerabilities in the cities, where the poor are becoming increasingly marginalised. Capacity building for the poor, the adoption of an integrated labour market system that also takes account of migrants, and the creation a of rural social security system are the three important poverty alleviation options promoted by the government. Although migration in China has unique institutional characteristics owing to the existence of the hukou system (Household Registration System), the experience of China has important lessons for our understanding of the impact of migration on development and poverty reduction.

Urban Poverty Reduction Among Migrants in China is the result of a large-scale research project conducted across China from 2002 to 2010. Packed full of original material, academic analysis, expert knowledge and practical policy suggestions, it paints a detailed picture of the consequences of China's startling economic transformation. Written by the experts at Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS) working in partnership with UNESCO.

After over 30 years of reform and opening up, China’s aggregate economic volume is now the second largest in the world. Over the past decade many provinces in the western region of China have implemented ecological migration projects of different scales, which have attracted considerable attention both in China and abroad. The projects indicate, first, that there is an urgent need for this type of endeavor: whether the goal is to reduce poverty or to protect the environment, we need to move the poor populations out of the ecologically fragile regions. Secondly, the projects indicate that the Chinese government is capable of meeting this need. Migration projects are complex and costly and without sufficient financial resources and systematic planning, migration may fail to reduce poverty, and could even aggravate it. The rapid economic growth in China, however, makes such migration projects viable.

The number of poor people in China is huge, despite recent economic advances. This book investigates the problem of poverty in China's regions, discussing in particular the role of rural-urban migration in reducing poverty. It surveys the distribution and characteristics of poverty, examines anti-poverty initiatives by the Chinese government and includes the results of original research conducted in Shanxi, a typical province in Central China.

This book examines labour migration in China, focusing in particular on the social dimensions, exploring important issues including poverty alleviation, inequality, social insurance, health and education, and the role of NGOs. It considers the impact of changing government policy, which has made social issues more central to national development policies.

This open access book explores new research directions in social inequality and urban segregation. With the goal of fostering an ongoing dialogue between scholars in Europe and China, it brings together an impressive team of international researchers to shed light on the entwined processes of inequality and segregation, and the implications for urban development. Through a rich collection of empirical studies at the city, regional and national levels, the book explores the impact of migration on cities, the related problems of social and spatial segregation, and the ramifications for policy reform. While the literature on both segregation and inequality has traditionally been dominated by European and North American studies, there is growing interest in these issues in the Chinese context. Economic liberalization, rapid industrial restructuring, the enormous growth of cities, and internal migration, have all reshaped the country profoundly. What have we learned from the European and North American experience of segregation and inequality, and what insights can be gleaned to inform the bourgeoning interest in these issues in the Chinese context? How is China different, both in terms of the nature and the consequences of segregation inequality, and what are the implications for future research and policy? Given the continued rise of China’s significance in the world, and its recent declaration of war on poverty, this book offers a timely contribution to scholarship, identifying the core insights to be learned from existing research, and providing important guidance on future directions for policy makers and researchers.