Domestic Migration and Urbanisation in the People’s Republic of China
Extreme imbalances in the development rates of the different regions mean that millions of workers have left the countryside to look for work in the huge conurbations of (mainly eastern) China. This wave of domestic migration has created unprecedented challenges for the infrastructure and for the social welfare systems of these areas. As a result, these migrations are proving to be both the driving force, but also a risk factor for China’s continuing economic, social and political development.