China needs efforts to handle urbanisation challenges: Li

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang has called for efforts to tackle challenges in the country's urbanisation drive, Xinhua reported Saturday.

Chinese urbanisation needs to be supported by integrated reforms, said Li while recently meeting academicians and experts from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and the Chinese Academy of Engineering (CAE).

Over 100 experts from the two academies, who have conducted research on different aspects of urbanisation, shared their findings with the premier.

A survey by the CAE showed most of the migrant workers, born after 1980, were unwilling to return to the countryside. The rural-urban population shift has become an inevitable trend.

Academicians also found that over 100 million migrant workers living in Chinese cities cannot avail the same public services as urban residents do. They have highlighted the need for reforms.

These academicians also raised a number of other issues including job creation and need for environmental protection in the urbanisation process.

Li, on this occasion, said urbanisation was a complex and big project and the government must hear opinions of all sides.

Reiterating that China would keep the public concerns in its heart while pushing for urbanisation, Li said China would take the urbanisation path that incorporates the ideas of green and efficient growth.