Life in China: The Increasing Number of Residents Living in Urban Poverty Is a Time Bomb

Apple Daily reported on April 12, 2002 that the Lookout Weekly, an official Mainland journal, surprisingly published two long articles after the large-scaled wave of protests in the cities of Daqing and Liaoyang, launched by workers who had lost their jobs because of their factories' poor operation performance. The articles detailed the struggles of this large group of urban residents and exposed the severe poverty that has been covered by the seemingly flourishing economy. The articles directed the public's attention to the fourteen million people living in cities and towns in poverty stricken conditions and asked that the reappearance of slums be faced in order to avoid an explosive condition that would shake society.

Published by the Xinhua Agency (the largest state-owned news agency in Mainland China), the Lookout Weekly reported in its latest issue that with the economic restructuring in recent years, China has been experiencing steady economic growth. However, the unemployment rate has increased tremendously. Between 1996 and 2000, state-owned or group-owned entities have laid off forty-eight million employees, a number equal to the whole population of South Korea. These unemployed workers now form the new group of people living in poverty.

Slums Reappear in Urban Areas of Mainland China

According to the two articles, various sized slums have reappeared in the dried-up mining areas and in old industrial bases. This is the first time that official Chinese media has admitted that slums have reappeared in urban areas. Slums can be found in the Chongqing City suburban areas along the Yangzi River and the Jialing River, the Tiexi District of Shenyang City in Liaoning Province, the Nianzishan Area of Qiqihaer City in Heilongjiang Province and others.

Based on the current standard for "poverty" in Mainland China, the number of suburban inhabitants living in poverty is fourteen million seven hundred and seventy thousand. However, according to scholars, this is a conservative estimate since only the people whose monthly earnings are less than one hundred Yuan are considered. (One hundred Yuan is about ninety-three Hong Kong Dollars or twelve US Dollars. The monthly income for a typical urbane assembly line worker is about four hundred Yuan. ) Using two hundred Yuan as the standard, the number of the people living in poverty in cities or towns jumps to twenty-three million. Among these, thirteen million, eight hundred thousand people receive financial assistance from the government. The average monthly amount of financial assistance is only one hundred and fifty Yuan. Although those people are able to manage to buying food and clothing, they are still extremely vulnerable to many other problems such as lack of education for children and medical care. In the cities of Hunan Province, the people in need of financial assistance from the government out-number those who live in poverty in the countryside. The poverty rate of Hubei Province is 9.5% while the poverty rate of Qicheng District of Wuhan City, the capital of Hubei Province, has reached 11.5%.

The Economic Growth Doesn't Benefit People Living in Poverty.

The reporters wrote, "Poor health and lack of education often leads low-income families into a vicious-cycle financially which then adversely affects marriages and employment. All these problems cause these families to become financially dependent and unstable. These conditions become time bombs that can push such families into desperate situations at any moment."

The articles specifically indicated that economic growth would not automatically benefit all groups of people in society. Without a fair allocation mechanism and without solving the unfair social problems, society could lose its stability.

Some Beijing Residents Don't Have Money to See a Doctor.

The poverty level for some Beijing residents is a shocking contrast to the city's brisk market.

Some Beijing residents have had to cut basic living expenses in order to save money for their children's education. The following are some examples.

Liang Pu, who lives in the Fuchengmen District Beiying Fang Area, lost his job in 1987. His wife has nephritis. They have not seen a doctor, in spite of the escalating severity of her illness. They are unable to afford treatment because they want to save money for their daughter's future education. Currently their daughter is in the eleventh Grade.

Aunt Xing, who lives in Haidian District Wudaokou Area, lost her job in 1992. She lost her husband that same year and now lives only with her seventeen-year-old daughter. She has heart disease, high blood pressure and other illnesses; however, she will no longer see a doctor because she has already accumulated a large amount of medical bills. Her daughter is a very good student. What troubles Aunt Xing most is how she will find the money for her daughter's tuition once she is admitted to a college.

Source:
http://www.clearwisdom.net/emh/articles/2002/4/22/21225.html