For rural Chinese who in the last 35 years or so have decided to leave their villages and seek their fortunes in the cities, a scary part of the adventure is leaving their hukou behind. This is the government file that says where they are allowed to live and the services due to them. Without legal residency in the cities, migrant workers have no access to free education, health care, official employment or legal services. However, the State Council – China’s cabinet – has decided to reform the system to encourage orderly urbanization.
