The Chinese Government has pledged to provide equal access to public services for people living in urban areas without proper residential permits.

Future policies and measures on essential public services, including employment assistance, compulsory education and occupational training, will not be based on whether a resident has a permanent residential permit or not, according to a national guideline on reforming the country's household registration system.

The guideline, dated February 26, 2011, was posted on the official website of the Chinese Government on February 23.

Under China's household registration system, many urban public services are still only available to registered urban residents within certain administrative regions. The system was introduced in the 1950s to reduce mobility and maintain social order under a planned economy.

Recent statistics show that the number of migrant workers reached 252.78 million in 2011, with 158.63 million of them leaving the towns they are registered to live in to seek employment elsewhere, usually in urban areas.

The guideline proposes creating a unified household registration system, as well as granting equal access to public services for both urban and rural residents.