Chinese cities ease residency requirements as ‘war for people’ heats up


A fresh round of what has been called a “war for people” is spreading across China, with major cities taking it in turns to ease residency requirements amid stubbornly low fertility rates and an ongoing property market crisis.

Chengdu, a southwestern metropolis with a population of 17 million – twice that of New York, will allow migrants to change their residency status as long as they buy a home in the city, according to a plan the city government released for public comment this month.

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