China Is On The Move; Of all the threats to its economic boom, Beijing officially encourages one, mass internal migration. It's a very smart choice.

Byline: Stephen Glain

The conventional view of China counts three basic threats to its economic boom: corruption and disrespect for the rule of law, environmental degradation and the tide of rural migrants who threaten to overwhelm its cities. It's no accident, however, that while Beijing is officially campaigning to end corruption, impose the rule of law and clean up the environment, it welcomes internal migration. Over the past few years, China has steadily loosened restrictions on the movement of its citizens--accelerating a trend begun in the late 1970s--most recently by extending welfare benefits to peasants looking for work in urban areas. Indeed, central ...