However, some outside skeptics argue that it is not clear that the country’s
political system, reform of which is widely considered as lagging behind that
of the economic system, is up to the task (The Economist 2010a). Also, income
disparities between rural and urban residents are partly because of the hukou
(household registration) system, which limits internal migration to cities. People
with a city hukou can live and work there freely. Those with a rural hukou can
go to a city only as guest workers. About 150 million rural Chinese live in cities
without a city hukou. They often have no or less access to public schools, clinics,
and housing. The government has promised to reform the hukou system, but it is
the city authorities that will implement the reform and may face many constraints
including financing (The Economist 2011a).