Why does superficial urbanization drive up the cost for farmers to move into cities?

“Our governance is governance with Chinese characteristics: it deprives farmers of their land through administrative power, sells it off at low prices, generates high government fiscal returns, and in exchange obtains urban development. Within our governance space we have built one superficially luxurious city after another. This kind of superficially luxurious city, in terms of urban costs and the strength of public services, has created a huge gulf for farmers, making it harder and harder for them to move into cities.” On December 14, 2014, Li Tie, director of the China Centre for Urban Development of the National Development and Reform Commission, said this at the “Sanya Caijing International Forum.”