The Working Life in China

"To get rich is glorious," declared Deng Xiaoping in 1978.  The people of China responded with nothing short of gusto to this statement over the past three decades.  However, in spite of increases in the urban wage, China' current income levels are quite low in comparison to those in the West.  The figures which reflect this trend are somewhat deceptive in part because rental property for most urban workers are still subsidised.  Sometimes apartments cost the equivalent of a few dollars per month!

There is no doubt a widening gap between the rich coastlands and the poor interior of China.  Living expenses in Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou are quickly approaching those of Hong Kong and the West.  There was a time when the gap between the rural and urban centers was much more obvious than it is today.  Some progress in this area has indeed been made.  Even so, most rural people still believe the gap is far too wide.  With the hosting of the 2008 Olympic Games, it is evident that China has come a long ways in the modern world of the 21st century.  So it is even more pressing upon the Middle Kingdom to continue its progress as it aims to become the new economic giant of the century!

Harlan Urwiler

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