Great significance has been attached to urbanization at China's Central Economic Work Conference.

Urbanization is the driving force that China can use to boost domestic demand and represents the battlefield of the country's modernization process. Urbanization has been the natural result of China's reform and opening-up, but ensuring the quality of this process remains a difficult task.

China's urbanization has been the largest event of its kind in human history, while its quality has been far from satisfactory.

Compared with urban areas in developed countries, those in China have lagged behind. However, they are much better than the slums in many developing countries.

China's large number of emerging urban areas have not resulted in slums, which should be attributed to the managerial capability of the government.

China's urbanization speed has been in line with the development of the urban economy. China's migrant workers have unique identities: They are both farmers and workers, shuttling back and forth between cities and rural areas.

But China's aim is to ensure high-quality urban areas. Most of China's urban areas are no more than dormitories surrounding factories. Migrant workers stay either in the factories or dormitories. Anything taking place in the cities has nothing to do with them.

China's metropolises boast many impressive skyscrapers, most of which are built in the central business districts. However, in most cities, the utilization rate of these facilities is amazingly low. They aren't a real picture of the situation and can't drive consumption.

Top officials in China's cities know well what basic infrastructure they should build. However, few of them have mastered the intricacies of urban economies. Though most of the cities are beautifully built, economically they are hollow.  

China's cities should be like cities rather than dormitories. Migrant workers should have a genuine local presence and participate in the city and the economy.

Many Chinese cities have no distinct cultural characteristics. Western cities have taken their shape slowly during the industrialization process and have their own unique cultural backgrounds. Chinese cities have sprung up over a short time with few unique cultural aspects and have a limited ability to drive consumption.

Driving forces are needed for the activation of the urban economy and cultural pursuits.

They should come from beyond industrialization, but we have barely scratched the surface of what they are and there's a lack of research in this area. Therefore, China's urbanization is repeating itself at a low level.

A high standard for China's urbanization can't be the result of copying Western models because we are in a different time and have a different cultural environment.