Travelers in Xuzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province walk near a train station in heavy snow. China was expected to see 407 million railway passenger trips during the 40 days of Spring Festival travel rush.  China prepares for a Spring Festival with the least mobility in years to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic. Photo: VCG

 As China prepares for a Spring Festival with the least mobility in years to curb the spread of COVID-19 pandemic, non-native employees working in Suzhou, East China's Jiangsu Province, are promised a "bonus" if they stay in the city for the holidays, which would bring them one step closer to becoming permanent residents in the city.

On Monday, the Suzhou government issued a notice that said non-native employees of enterprises who work in the city between February 5 and 26 are eligible to get the 15 new points to apply for Suzhou's 2021 hukou, or household registration, and have access to local medical insurance.

Some Chinese metropolises such as Beijing and Shanghai have launched points-based application systems for household registration, a move aimed at meeting the needs of non-native residents to stabilize their living situations in cities.

By the end of 2019, the permanent resident population of Suzhou was 10.75 million, an increase of 0.3 percent over the previous year. Its registered population was 7.23 million, up 2.7 percent over the previous year, according to official data.

The Suzhou government also said that non-native employees can enjoy free public transport and visits to 14 classical gardens during the holiday.

The new policy made the rounds on social media.

Some netizens supported the policy, saying it would discourage people from going back hometown for the Chinese New Year, which falls on February 12, and helping avoid possible infections of COVID-19.

However, others pointed out that the policy is not that attractive for non-native employees.

"The people who need the 15 points for hukou application are mainly those who have purchased a house or plan to buy a house in Suzhou, but for non-native workers, who can afford a house in the city? So the points are useless for these workers," said one netizen.

Some called on the local government to emulate Hangzhou, East China's Zhejiang Province, which promised to offer 1,000 yuan ($154.4) to every non-native worker who decided to stay there for Chinese New Year. Netizens said the cash bonus is more attractive.

Global Times