In correspondence to the Research Directorate, a professor of international affairs at the Georgia Institute of Technology who specializes in the subject of household registration in China explains that an adult son or daughter is legally entitled to request a "separation" from the parents and move to a separate household alone or with his or her nuclear family, within the same hukou zone (27 Apr. 2005). In such a move, the child would retain the same permanent hukou as his parents (Professor of international affairs 27 Apr. 2005). According to the professor, once issues such as those related to assets are resolved and the son or daughter has obtained a new address, the hukou police will usually approve the move (ibid.). The professor did not indicate whether the father's opposition would play a significant role.

Permanent relocation outside of the hukou zone can be approved by authorities in cases of new employment, post-secondary school enrolment, family reunification, or the "recategorization of rural residents as urban residents" (Wang 2005, 70). Major urban centres such as Shanghai, Beijing and the special economic zones are "highly controlled cities" that retain local hukou quotas (ibid., 92). According to the professor of international affairs, outside of the larger cities, receiving approval for permanent relocation is "relatively easy" (30 Apr. 2005). In general, there are greater possibilities of migration for the wealthy, the educated, and those who obtain state employment or are retired or demobilized military officers (Wang 2005, 91-94).

For further information on the household registration system in China, please consult the issue paper, China: Reforms of the Household Registration System (Hukou) (1998-2004) of February 2005.

This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.

Professor of International Affairs, Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta. 30 April 2005. Correspondence.

_____. 27 April 2005. Correspondence.

Wang, Fei-Ling. 2005. Organizing Through Division and Exclusion: China's Hukou System. Stanford: Stanford University Press.

Internet sites, including: China Internet Information Center, Human Rights in China.