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Poverty in China

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A teacher in China has come under fire for presenting school students with a questionnaire that attempted to rank them by social status. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

China teacher panned for quiz ranking family status from ‘indecent’ to ‘good’

Social standing questionnaire for secondary school students posed by intern educator sparks mainland social media storm.

Are China’s lauded anti-poverty triumphs at risk of vanishing?

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Opinion | Why China is taking wealth redistribution seriously

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Opinion | What China watchers should know about where the country is headed

The reforms outlined in the third plenum sets the groundwork for deepening efforts such as poverty alleviation to sustainable development.

A giant screen shows President Xi Jinping attending the Communist Party’s third plenary session in Beijing on July 18. Photo: Reuters

China scavenger boy with kidney disease cares for sick uncle, breaks hearts online

A 13-year-old boy in China who has led a life of tragedy has caught the attention of online observers who want to help him, thanks to a chance encounter with a social media influencer.

China salesman sleeps in car to save money for trips to see girlfriend 500km away

A man in China has shown true dedication to his girlfriend, living out of his car to save money so he can travel 500km every weekend to see her.

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Row over China migrant worker living in tiny Shanghai cabinet for US$7 a month

An online “misinformation” controversy has been sparked after a viral video emerged of a migrant worker in China living in a tiny “cabinet” room in Shanghai, a city with some of the country’s most expensive rental properties.

A tiny living space occupied by a migrant worker in China has sparked dismay on mainland social media amid an ongoing official crackdown on internet misinformation. Photo: SCMP composite/Douyin

Caring nephew gives homeless uncle ‘bossy CEO’ makeover for big family reunion

A man in China who went missing and was homeless for more than two decades has been reunited with his nephew who spent time and money making him presentable for a family gathering.

Opinion | China must no longer ignore the dangers of glaring wealth disparities

China must urgently deal with the issue of the country’s wealth inequality as letting it fester could put the goal of achieving common prosperity in danger and undermine faith in the government among the impoverished and young people who lack hope for the future.

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Opinion | China’s ‘first coffee village’ highlights potential for rural revival

In showing that rural life can be attractive and prosperous, Yunnan’s Xinzhai village is changing the narrative that rural life has to be hard, backwards and inconvenient.

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Xinzhai village in Yunnan province promotes itself as “the first coffee village in China” and is enjoying a upturn in fortunes. Photo: Handout

‘Winter warmer’: kind woman, 84, knits 1,500 jumpers for China’s poor, needy kids

An 84-year-old woman in China, who was moved by the plight of children in poverty who cannot afford warm winter clothes, embarked on a jumper knitting marathon that has seen her produce around 1,500 sweaters over a 15-year period.

The story of an 84-year-old woman in China, who has knitted thousands of warm jumpers for the country’s poverty-stricken children, has captivated mainland social media. Photo: SCMP composite/Shutterstock

Boy hands in bag containing US$22,000 to police despite dire family situation

A boy in China was praised by the police and his school after he returned a bag filled with US$22,000 he found on the street.

Man in China travels far to return US$28 borrowed from police when penniless

A man in China travelled a long distance to return US$28 he had borrowed from the police out of desperation to return home.

China’s medical spending grows as population ages but insurance fund risks loom

In difficult economic times, Chinese people have become increasingly reluctant to tap into their savings, but healthcare costs are on the rise as the population gets older and people invest more in their well-being.

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Chinese people are investing more in their health and living longer, leading to greater medical expenses that strain the welfare system while boosting consumption and vitality. Illustration: Davies Christian Surya

Opinion | Guizhou offers Hong Kong lessons in building bridges, lifting the poor

Super-connector Hong Kong should also build its bridges to the mainland and the world, between the government and people, and among groups in society – making sure to leave no one behind.

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The Yangbaoshan grand bridge of the Guiyang-Huangping Highway at sunset, under construction on March 17, 2021 in Guizhou province. Guizhou has become known as a “bridge museum” of the world, with more than 28,000 highway bridges and almost half of the world’s tallest 100 bridges. Photo: Xinhua

China’s desperate migrant workers jostle for jobs – losing means no food or bed

Faced with dwindling opportunities, from rural hometowns to major cities, some migrant workers sleep in the streets as they roll the dice on where the sluggish economic recovery will create the most jobs.

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Outside In | Despite war, climate fears and economic woes, life is getting better – really

Beyond what the crisis-obsessed media may report, the world is actually making steady progress against poverty, illiteracy, disease and more. More than anything, we should rely on a fact-based world view rather than the fact-free bigotry incubated across much of social media.

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More rich Chinese look to donate amid Xi’s ‘common prosperity’ call: survey

About two thirds of Chinese with at least 5 million yuan (US$727,268) of investible assets say they want to keep donating to charity in the next 10 years, according to a new survey gauging attitudes towards philanthropy.

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President Xi Jinping’s “common prosperity” campaign aims to reduce China’s yawning wealth gap. Photo: Bloomberg

China’s Covid-weary entrepreneurs hesitate on Xi’s ‘common prosperity’ call

President Xi Jinping has again urged entrepreneurs to give to charity and ‘share the fruits of growth’, but his message could find a muted reaction among private firms still recovering from three years of Covid uncertainty.

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China to expand rural access to urban welfare benefits in push for growth

More than a dozen government agencies in China have vowed to make it easier for migrants in cities to tap into public services, such as healthcare, in a bid to boost economic activity

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Land, welfare and tax reforms needed to address China’s inequality: Lou Jiwei

Outspoken former finance minister Lou Jiwei says policymakers need to bring a reformist mindset to land, welfare and tax, while easing market concern that the wealthy will be targeted to narrow the wealth gap.

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China’s Gini coefficient, which measures income distribution across a populace, was 0.466 in 2021, lower than 0.491 in 2008, showing improvement but still severe inequality. Photo: AP

‘You can cook sitting on the toilet’: tiny Shanghai nano-flat sparks online debate

Images of a tiny, so-called nano-flat, in Shanghai, China have gone viral after a real-estate agent boasted about its “all-inclusive” design and the fact that you can cook while sitting on the toilet.

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A six-square-metre nano-flat in Shanghai, China is going for US$55 a month and marketed with the key selling point that you can sit on the toilet and cook at the same time. Photo: SCMP Composite

China says no large-scale return to poverty, despite impact of coronavirus

China’s government says it has averted a large-scale return to poverty after a year of coronavirus outbreaks and economic challenges, but the declining incomes of rural migrant workers remains a pressing issue.

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‘We can’t afford to eat’: is China’s Covid pivot enough to avert poverty?

China’s decision to relax virus restrictions is likely to ease pressure on low-income households, but millions are at risk of slipping back into poverty as the economy struggles to recover after nearly three years of zero-Covid.

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How China is upgrading rural areas with technology

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China’s place in the climate crisis fight with Jane Goodall

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China’s JD.com to slash salaries of 2,000 senior managers by up to 20 per cent

The salary cuts, which will start next year, form part of JD.com’s efforts to boost housing and education benefits for rank-and-file employees.

China must fix ‘fragile’ wealth accumulation before seeking common prosperity

Ma Xiaohe, the former head of a government think tank, believes that China’s ‘wealth accumulation mechanism is very fragile’ amid the recent common prosperity drive following last month’s 20th party congress.

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Poverty in China
The latest news, analysis and opinion on Poverty in China. In-depth analysis, industry insights and expert opinion.
last updated:
9 September, 2024
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