100m Chinese to get city benefits

More than 100 million Chinese are to be given vital documents making them officially residents of the country's cities under a broad plan for the urbanisation that is crucial to economic growth. China's new leaders under President Xi Jinping who took office a year ago have touted "people-centred urbanisation" to raise the quality of life as well as just growth rates. The "national plan for a new model of urbanisation" calls for measurable improvements such as extended social benefits, improved air quality -- an issue that causes widespread public anger -- and expanded public transport. But analysts warned Monday that while the overarching strategy and the inclusion of specific targets were positive, the real question was whether the plan would be put into action, according to AFP.