Cities continue to face growing pains

A lot needs to be done to solve problems related to the growth of cities even as more problems are put on the table, an economist and expert on urban development in China says.

Li Tie, director of the China Center for Urban Development, a public institution that is part of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that while the commission has adopted a series of pilot programs and policies, progress in several areas is slow, such as with matters related to the land ownership system, residency registration and the investment and financial management system.

No matter where urban growth occurs, in China or elsewhere, it is a difficult area that needs certain strengths to succeed, he said, as it entails looking at the interests of many people and communities.

His research has shown that every year in China about 20 million people are moving into cities, and by 2020 the urban population in China is expected to reach about 800 million.

However, whether there will be enough jobs for them in the cities is an open question.

In the 10 years to 2015 the average salary for a job in manufacturing rose by 247 percent, and salaries of migrant workers rose from 2,000 yuan ($290) a month to 3,359 yuan a month, he said. Because of these rising costs, industry would move to other countries, he said.

In addition, many factories have started using robots, and in Zhejiang province this has resulted in the loss of 47,000 jobs in the past three years, he said.