China's capital will take measures to keep its permanent residents within 16 million by 2010, according to an economic and social development program for 2006-2010 to be discussed at the municipal legislature's annual session.

The move aims to ease the pressure caused by fast-growing population, which climbed to 14.93 million by the end of last year and is very likely to exceed 16 million by 2010, said Professor Zhai Zhenwu, director of the Population and Development Research Center under the Renmin University of China.

The population control target for 2010 was set after a careful analysis based on the city's environment, and resources and employment capabilities, said Zhang Yun, a research fellow of the Beijing Academy of Social Sciences.

The expanding population that plagues this metropolis has resulted in short supply of housing and other resources and frequent traffic jams.

From 1991 to 2004, nearly two-thirds of the increased population in Beijing came from other parts of the country. Professor Zhai suggested the government give priority to limiting the number of people from outside.

The key lies in "strengthening the role the market plays in allocating resources," he said, referring to government efforts to curb the overflow of people into Beijing.

According to the five-year program, Beijing will take a mixture of economic, administrative and legal measures to better control the "floating" population. A number of districts have issued orders to keep records of rented houses and register migrant workers.

(Xinhua News Agency January 12, 2006)