China News  
SINO DAILY
Half Of China To Be Urbanized By 2010

Up to 150 million migrant workers work in urban areas, often toiling in menial jobs.
by Staff Writers
 Beijing (AFP) Nov 06, 2006
 Fifty percent of China's population of more than 1.3 billion people will live in cities within four years as the nation's urbanization drive steams ahead, state media reported Monday. The number of people living in urban areas is expected to rise to 50 percent by 2010 and 60 percent by 2020, posing big challenges for the cities, Xinhua news agency cited Chou Baoxing, vice minister of construction, as saying.

China's fast-paced urbanization is leading to environmental problems, traffic congestion and an inadequate social safety network for migrants, Chou said.

"The three important yardsticks for judging if the urbanization drive is healthy are the level of protection of energy and other natural resources, respect for local history and culture and care for the low-income groups," Chou told an urbanization forum in Shanghai.

Currently, 41 percent of Chinese live in urban areas, Xinhua said, citing Shi Nan, a leading official at the Urban Planning Society of China.

China's rural population was 745.44 million at the end of last year, or 57 percent of the total, with 562.12 million people living in urban areas, according to National Bureau of Statistics figures.

Rural Chinese dwellers have in recent years flooded the nation's big cities in search of better livelihoods and a piece of the nation's booming economic pie.

Up to 150 million migrant workers work in urban areas, often toiling in menial jobs.

Source: Agence France-Presse

Related Links
 China News From SinoDaily.com

SINO DAILY
Taiwan leader urges support for US arms package, launches warships
 Taipei (AFP) Nov 2, 2006
 Taiwan President Chen Shui-bian on Thursday urged parliament to approve a controversial defense budget to buy more weaponry from the United States, as he commissioned two Kidd-class destroyers. "Under China's suppression, it is extremely difficult for our military to acquire modernized weapons... Any military procurement is a result of long-term planning," Chen said at the launch ceremony for the US-made ships.






SUPERPOWERS
  • Bush Says China Saving Too Much Money
  • China The Anti-Superpower Or The Second Hyperpower
  • China Wants Closer Defense Ties With SE Asia
  • US Asks China To Be Open With Military Ties With Southeast Asia

    • TRADE WARS
  • China Firm Taps World Muslim Goods Market
  • "Palace Museum", "Forbidden City" Become China's Name Brands
  • Chinese, Australian Commerce Ministers Confident About Reaching FTA
  • China Steps Up IPR Protection To Promote Innovation

    • DISASTER MANAGEMENT
  • Chechnya Food Crisis Looms
  • Massive Road For Tsunami-Hit Aceh Founders
  • North Korea Imperils Its Own People
  • Hunger Driving North Korea Refugees, World Must Open Doors

    • DRAGON SPACE
  • China To Build Space Station Eventually
  • China Proceeding With Assembly Shenzhou 7 Spacecraft
  • Shape Of Things To Come-On The Moon
  • China Launches First Direct Broadcasting Satellite

    • ENERGY TECH
  • IEA Warns Current Energy System Doomed To Failure
  • India Says 16 Percent Of Power To Come From Wind By 2030
  • The Russian Peaceful Atom Stages A Comeback In Europe
  • Z Machine Melts Diamond To Puddle

    • EPIDEMICS
  • Genetically Altered AIDS Retrovirus Has Encouraging Results
  • Red Cross Unveils Mass Southern Africa AIDS Project
  • China's Dirty Secret
  • Phoenix Rising: Scientists Resuscitate A 5 Million-Year-Old Retrovirus

    • CIVIL NUCLEAR
  • Baltic Leaders Back New Nuclear Plant But Poland Hesitates
  • IEA Sees Nuclear Power As Part Of Future Energy Solution
  • Czech Temelin Nuclear Reactor Hit By Fuel Problem
  • German Uranium To Be Flown To Russia

    • THE PITS
  • One dead, 38 trapped in China mine accidents: reports
  • China To Close 5000 Coal Mines To Improve Safety
  • Eighteen killed in northern China coal mine accident
  • Five shot during riots at Chinese-owned mine in Zambia: report

    • The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2006 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA PortalReports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additionalcopyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement