China's Long Overdue Step Towards Urban Equality The May 22 guidelines issued by China's State Council are a significant move towards providing migrant workers with equal access to basic public services in the cities where they live and work.
The household registration system (hukou), which has been in place since the 1950s, has long restricted migrant workers' eligibility for essential services such as education, healthcare, and housing.
The hukou system was initially implemented to control internal migration from rural areas to cities. However, it has become an outdated relic of China's past, perpetuating inequality and social injustice.