More than 300 million Chinese farmers will migrate from rural areas to live in urban areas in the coming two decades, says a report released in Beijing Thursday.

The report issued by the State Population and Family Planning Commission says China's rural areas still have a surplus labor force of 150 million to 170 million people, and these people will continue to migrate to cities.

The surging migrant population will pose challenges to urban infrastructure, public services and government administration, and make it more difficult to implement family planning policies, the report says.

The report says that China is undergoing the biggest wave of migration in its history. The Chinese government should attach more importance to this issue and make greater efforts to solve the problems caused by internal migration.

The report calls on local governments to offer job information and professional training to migrants, and guarantee them medical services and social welfare. The interests of migrants should be protected, especially the right of migrant children to receive education.

Zhang Weiqing, director of the State Population and Family Planning Commission, said the government should gradually reform its household registration system to enable the migrant population to have access to urban services, and set up a social security network for migrant rural workers.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2007)