Migration and migrants in Chinese cities: New trends, challenges and opportunities to theorise with urban China

Abstract

This introductory article to the special issue discusses some of the latest trends in migration research in urban China and focuses on three areas which have generated new understandings on migration and migrants in Chinese cities. Firstly, it identifies the various similarities and intersections between urban resettlement and migration studies by drawing on the case of China where the livelihoods and experience of migrants and resettled residents have been affected by China’s rapid urbanisation. Secondly, the paper discusses the enduring significance of the residential neighbourhood in influencing the place attachment, social relationships and career development of migrant residents. Finally, it delves deeper into the various ways studies have sought to categorise and differentiate between different migrant sub-groups in urban China and reveals that more fine-grained migration studies have helped better understand China’s large and ever more diverse migrant population and their variegated living experiences and challenges.