China’s think tanks have expressed concerns over the capitals’ fast increasing population and said population pressures are likely to become stronger in the next 20 years.
According to the Annual Report on Analysis of Beijing Society-Building, since 2000, the population of the capital has increased by 700,000 residents a year on average, China Daily reports.
About 61.5 percent of Beijing residents live in six districts in the city’s center, where the population density is at 7,837 persons for each square kilometer, according to the report.
Beijing’s population density has surpassed London’s at 5,437 persons for each sq km, and Tokyo’s at 5,984 persons for each sq km.
In a move to reduce the population pressure on the city, a series of strict limits are expected to be placed on new residents who are considered to be part of the “floating”, or migrant, population.
For example, fewer university graduates in 2011 will get Beijing hukou, an official residence permit.
The capital plans to only encourage those who have diplomas in fields deemed important to economic development to remain after graduation.
The report pointed out that population increases will be the biggest worry for Beijing administrators during the period covered by the municipality’s 12th Five-Year Plan (2011-2015).
ANI