In attempts to forestall problems inherent in
too-rapid urbanization, China has instituted a mi;ration policy
designed to strictly control changes in permanent residence from
rural areas or small urban places to larger cities and to encourage
the development of small cities and towns. The policy is enforced
through the household registration system, whereby each person has an
official place of residence and must obtain official permission to
change locatiols. Within these controls, considerable migration does
occur, ouch it for job-related reasons o:r for education. Such
temporary migration, which has increased greatly, is sanctioned
because it is seen as providing benefits without concurrently
imposing burdens on the cities. Temporary movement (1) absorbs a
considerable portion of the surplus rural areas; (2) generates income
to fuel a rising standard of living in rural areas; (3) meets demands
for service workers and other needs associated with improving the
quality of life in cities; and most importantly, (4) provides
linkages between rural and urban places. Coupled with a realization
on restrictions governing permanent migration from villages to towns,
temporary movement may serve as a first step in the development of
small, rural oriented urban centers that are intended to provide
employment opportunities and some urban amenities not otherwise
available in rural areas. It remains to be seen whether such towns or
the temporary contacts that peasants have with the cities will
satisfy the rising consumer demands and aspirations for a better
quality of life, or whether the listed exposure to urban life styles
will instead increase peasants' desire to live in cities. (