国内英语新闻:Chinese farmers accumulate points for hukou

BEIJING, June 8 -- South China's Guangdong province has taken the lead in the country by introducing a new accumulating points system to grant urban hukou, or household registration, to migrant workers.

The province plans to attract 1.8 million migrant workers to become urban residents via the points accumulation system before the end of 2012, according to Lin Wangping, deputy director-general of the Guangdong provincial bureau of human resources and social security.

"In addition to helping speed up the province's urban construction, the accumulating points system aims to let more migrant workers share in the province's economic growth achievements together with urban residents and help build a harmonious society," Lin said at a press conference on Monday.

"Guangdong encourages more farmer-workers to settle down in cities and become urban residents in the upcoming years," she said.

Guangdong aims to achieve an urbanization target of 67.5 percent by the end of 2012.

And mass events and social conflicts will be avoided or reduced in the years ahead when the province's large number of farmers-turned workers can enjoy the same social treatment as their urban counterparts, she said.

Currently, farmers and migrant workers cannot enjoy the same treatment as their urban counterparts in employment, education, medical treatment, social security and related fields in the society.