It is no exaggeration thatChina’s urbanization process will become a driving force for changingChina’s social and economic landscape in the coming decades and have a significant bearing on the global economy.

It has managed to raise its urbanization rate by about 1 percent each year in the past three decades, leading it to reach 54 percent by the end of 2013. By 2018, it could reach 60 percent.

The sheer rise in the rate, or the proportion of urbanites in the overall population, however, should not be the top priority for policymakers. What they should care about most is a how to find a sustainable way to move the Chinese people from rural areas to the urban regions.

Chinadevised a roadmap for pushing its urbanization drive last June, when the Urbanization Development Plan (2012-20) was completed. Policymakers reached a consensus on blazing a new trail of urbanization that is more people-oriented, efficient, intelligent, green and low-carbon.

In others words, as people move to new cities and towns, they should have access to local residences and the many benefits and public services accompanying with it. There should be viable industries in the newly formed or expanded cities so that the immigrants can have jobs. Meanwhile, in building or expanding cities, environmental and energy use issues must be on top of the local agenda to make the process sustainable.

Only by achieving these tasks canChina’s urbanization become a long-term driving force for the brisk growth of the overall economy.

To that end, the Central Economic Work Conference in December required that the quality of this new type of urbanization be ensured.

When delivering his government work report on Wednesday, Premier Li Keqiang vowed to review efforts to accelerate the process of this new urbanization.