Inter-provincial Permanent and Temporary Migration in China

This dissertation focuses on the two-track migration system in transitional China, where both market forces and the state are prominently at work. More specifically, the main objective of this research is to document the differentials between permanent migration and temporary migration and their changes over time, to examine the factors that contribute to the changes, and to study temporary migrants' settlement intention. Also, I highlight two key processes that have shaped the two-track migration system over the last three decades -- hukou reforms and maturation of migration streams.;The empirical analysis shows that between 1990 and 2000 the gaps between permanent migrants and temporary migrants did not narrow but in most aspects had widened. There is little evidence that hukou reforms have lowered the barriers to urban citizenship. At the same time, the selectivity of temporary migrants has declined over time. A larger spectrum of population, including the less skilled and educated, has joined the temporary migration streams. The net result is a persistence of the two-track migration system, where permanent migrants increasingly assume the position of social and economic elites and temporary migrants the disadvantaged and disenfranchised.;Using the City of Wuxi as a case study, I show that hukou reforms alone are not sufficient to turn all temporary migrants into permanent migrants. But hukou status is a significant constraint that prevents temporary migrants from settling down in the city. Lack of the local hukou puts additional constraints in temporary migrants' lives in the city, such as job hunting, home purchase, social insurance and children's education. More inclusive hukou reforms would help improve migrants' living standards in the city and in turn increase their settlement intention.;The findings of the dissertation underscore the importance of addressing the role of policy for studying internal migration, especially in transitional economies that are undergoing structural transformation. The findings are also relevant for policymakers, especially those concerned with furthering hukou reforms.