英闻天下——556 What to Expect from China's New Urbanization

 　　Urbanization is a hot issue at the ongoing¹ annual session of the National People's Congress, China's top legislature.

 

　　NPC deputies are discussing how to achieve higher quality urbanization in China.

 

　　CRI's Zhang Ru has more:

 

　　At the West Railway Station in Beijing, a migrant worker surnamed Chang is waiting to board on train to Shanxi Province.

 

　　As a construction worker, Chang often moves from one construction site to another and lives in makeshift dwellings².

 

　　"There are no industries in my hometown. I can do nothing but till the land there. If I could find a job in my hometown, of course, I would return. Who wants to leave home and suffer like this? But I think currently the difference between villages and cities are still very big. Village is village, city is city. They are different."

 

　　NPC deputy Liu Li is a migrant worker from Anhui Province. She says without an urban hukou, or household registration³, migrant workers can't enjoy same public services as their urban counterparts.

 

　　"Can the government ease the restrictions⁴ of the household registration system and allow migrant workers' children get access to the same schools as their urban counterparts? Don't establish so-called 'schools for migrant children,' which seems to be a form of discrimination. Also, the new rural cooperative medical scheme should be combined with the urban medical insurance system. Otherwise, migrant workers can't have access to medical insurance in cities."

 

　　Chinese primere Wen Jiabao said in his government work report that China's urbanization rate is more than 52 percent.

 

　　But NPC deputy Zhang Zhaoan, who is also an expert on rural economy, says many of the 260 million migrant workers are not truly urbanized.

 

　　"The biggest problem of traditional urbanization is that the development of the social system is left behind by the expansion of cities. The two aspects should be in step with each other. Urbanization is not simply relocating rural population in cities. A new urbanization model should focus on systematic⁵ reforms such as the hukou system and social welfare system."

 

　　The central government now is promoting a new urbanization model that shifts from one that is capital-driven to one that is people-oriented.

 

　　Xiazhuzhuang Sub-district in Tianjin Municipality is considered as a model of urbanization reform.

 

　　It takes 40 minutes to drive from Xiazhuzhuang to downtown Tianjin. Making full use of its geographic⁶ advantages, the local government built industrial zones on farmland and provided jobs to farmers who lost their land in the process.

 

　　Also, thanks to a land consolidation⁷ program, villagers all moved into newly built apartments.

 

　　Gao Nailin says he now owns four apartments.

 

　　"The apartments are much better than my old bungalows⁸. The living environment and facilities have been improved. Now we have tap water and recycled water systems, a heating system as well as a natural gas system here."

 

　　But NPC deputy Zhang Zhao'an says not all of China's rural areas can develop according to the same model.

 

　　"Rural areas in a favorable situation with industries and convenient traffic can develop into small cities. However, it's impossible for some remote areas to be urbanized. People there will leave to seek better lives if they can."

 

　　The National Development and Reform Commission said an outline of China's new urbanization plan would be issued in the first half of this year.

 

　　For CRI, I am Zhang Ru.

1 ongoing   

adj.进行中的，前进的

参考例句：

• The problem is ongoing.这个问题尚未解决。
• The issues raised in the report relate directly to Age Concern's ongoing work in this area.报告中提出的问题与“关心老人”组织在这方面正在做的工作有直接的关系。

2 dwellings   

n.住处，处所( dwelling的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The development will consist of 66 dwellings and a number of offices. 新建楼区将由66栋住房和一些办公用房组成。
• The hovels which passed for dwellings are being pulled down. 过去用作住室的陋屋正在被拆除。 来自《简明英汉词典》

3 registration   

n.登记，注册，挂号

参考例句：

• Marriage without registration is not recognized by law.法律不承认未登记的婚姻。
• What's your registration number?你挂的是几号？

4 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

5 systematic   

adj.有系统的，有计划的，有方法的

参考例句：

• The way he works isn't very systematic.他的工作不是很有条理。
• The teacher made a systematic work of teaching.这个教师进行系统的教学工作。

6 geographic   

adj.地理学的，地理的

参考例句：

• The city's success owes much to its geographic position. 这座城市的成功很大程度上归功于它的地理位置。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• Environmental problems pay no heed to these geographic lines. 环境问题并不理会这些地理界限。 来自英汉非文学 - 环境法 - 环境法

7 consolidation   

n.合并,巩固

参考例句：

• The denser population necessitates closer consolidation both for internal and external action. 住得日益稠密的居民，对内和对外都不得不更紧密地团结起来。 来自英汉非文学 - 家庭、私有制和国家的起源
• The state ensures the consolidation and growth of the state economy. 国家保障国营经济的巩固和发展。 来自汉英非文学 - 中国宪法

8 bungalows   

n.平房( bungalow的名词复数 )；单层小屋，多于一层的小屋

参考例句：

• It was a town filled with white bungalows. 这个小镇里都是白色平房。 来自《简明英汉词典》
• We also seduced by the reasonable price of the bungalows. 我们也确实被这里单层间的合理价格所吸引。 来自互联网