Banker's four hukou spark public outrage(2)

Zhai Zhenfeng, former chief of the housing management bureau in a district of Zhengzhou, Henan Province, and his family members were exposed as owning dozens of apartment units and each possessing two hukou.

Chen Wenzhu, former director of the Tobacco Bureau of Shanwei, Guangdong who was sacked for corruption, was found to hold three ID cards and hukou.

Liu Kaiming, director of the Institute of Contemporary Observation, a Shenzhen-based think tank, said that the management of the hukou system, which is known for its rigid control over migration, has long lacked transparency and was not carried out in line with related regulations.

"As a result, the system has become a tool that only applies to ordinary people," said Liu, adding that those with power and wealth could take advantage of loopholes.

The hukou system is viewed by some as a source of injustice within Chinese society. A hukou in big cities like Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou is a sought-after good for non-locals. The lack of local hukou blocks migrants from obtaining social security and their children from admission to local schools.

In some top-tier cities, such as Beijing and Shanghai, higher and more stringent requirements have been set for those without local hukou when it comes to purchasing properties and vehicles.

News portal qq.com once calculated the value of a Beijing hukou by citing benefits in areas including employment, education, property purchasing, medical services and pensions. It concluded that a Beijing hukou is worth at least 540,000 yuan, and claimed that a Beijing hukou is priced at 500,000 yuan on the black market.

Public outrage has been frequently expressed over the loopholes in the system that have been used by corrupt officials to cover up their illegal gains.

Liu echoed the public's concerns, noting that a more dangerous problem with the multiple hukou and ID cards issue is that some corrupt officials may use their additional hukou to get passports and flee the country.