Urban–Rural Integration Pattern and Promotion Strategies

As China’s economy enters the “new normal” characterized by “growth deceleration, optimized structure, diversified engines and improved quality,” there will be new trends in the urban–rural integration pattern in the future, including a decrease in the urbanization growth and citizenization willingness, a continuous narrowing of the urban–rural gap, a shift of factors from one-way flows to two-way interactions, and a shift of policies from urban-biased to rural-biased. As a “double-edged sword,” the “new normal” will not only bring about good opportunities for the development of urban–rural integration, but will also put the promotion of urban–rural integration under severe challenges, including the increased difficulties in farmers’ income increase and citizenization, the urgent need for comprehensive treatment of “rural diseases,” the urgent need for balanced allocation of resources between urban and rural areas, and the urgent need for accelerating the integration of the urban–rural dual systems. Under the “new normal,” the promotion of urban–rural integration requires a “package” of systematic and integrated solutions, rather than a piecemeal approach. The current priorities are to comprehensively deepen the urban–rural integration supporting reforms, build the unified urban–rural household registration system, land management system, employment management system, social security system, public service system and social governance system, facilitate the free flow and equal exchanges of urban and rural factors and the balanced allocation of public resources, and realize the equality of urban and rural residents’ quality of life, so that urban and rural residents will be able to benefit from the equal standard of living and quality of life.