Premier Li Keqiang presided over an executive meeting of the State Council on July 30, and called for better services for migrant workers in cities to help them integrate into urban society.

Migrant workers contributed to China’s demographic dividend

Li asked all departments to provide adequate services for migrant workers - for the foreseeable future.

Li said the central government has vigorously promoted the reform of the administrative system and cancelled a batch of coordination groups since he took office last year. However, a working team was established on June 2013 to lead the initiatives concerning migrant workers.

“The large population of migrant workers played a huge and irreplaceable role in China’s economic progress. One study shows that the nation’s rapid development over the past decades has relied on the demographic dividend - which also concerns this large role played by migrant workers ,” the premier said.

Li also said there will be many new migrant workers in China as the country continues to modernize, and he called for local governments at all levels to continue giving priority to people while pursuing reform and innovation, and to offer improved services for the migrants to help them take their place in urban area.

Migrant workers should not be treated as second-class citizens

Li asked various departments to make sure that their new policies and measures concerning migrant workers are workable and take into account the diversity of the migrants.

Some of these workers only seek temporary employment in China’s cities, some have been living in the cities for a long time and have stable jobs - and others were born and brought up in the cities, and thus belong to a sort of new generation of migrant workers.

The premier called for services and policies to suit specific categories of migrant workers.

He said that the government should help those who have been living in the country’s cities for a long time and have stable employment so that they can integrate into society and enjoy equal rights - as other urban residents - and access to public services.

He also said that migrant workers must not be treated as second-class citizens.

Li asked governments of all levels to pay more attention to assisting the migrant workers.

“We should face the reality that migrant workers have contributed significantly to China’s economic achievements, and they will continue to play a vital role in building a moderately prosperous society,” he said.