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THOUGH no specific plan was mentioned, China hinted last week that it could be ready to reform the long disputed household registration, or hukou system. On Thursday, a Public Security Ministry-sponsored conference discussed the issue. Though few details were released, the ministry did say that the key to giving citizens equal treatment was "unifying the hukou system". Hebei, Liaoning, Shandong, Guangxi, Chongqing, and seven other places have experimented with narrowing the difference between rural and urban residents in pilot programs, said the ministry.

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registration 登记,注册

sponsor 资助

unify 统一

rural 乡下的,乡村的

urban 都市的

disputed 受争议的