The Real China: Urban Wealth, Rural Poverty

I've actually lived in China for several years and although things are developing quickly business wise, the poverty in the country side areas is no joke. Don't get me wrong, I stayed in an Anhui country side place. Certainly it was very poor, but the people had a very big heart, were very friendly (much friendlier than the educated city people), and if you need help, the villagers will go out of their way to help you.

I saw some Americans commenting on how beautiful the villages are and this is true, but I think most Americans wouldn't be able to handle living there. How so? First of all, many of these places have either very cold or hot and humid weather. Many or most of the homes have no insulation, no heating or AC, and since there are few or no super markets around, people just pick their own vegetables and kill their own meat. The vegetables may be fresh, provided air pollution from the construction didn't damage them, but the meat, most Americans may not be able to handle. People really do eat things like dog, cat, snake, wild birds. I am not saying this to make fun of them, but to give you an idea as to what it is really like. Don't get me wrong, as long as I can at least have electricity, running water, heating/AC, and some food that is not dog or cat, the country side areas are more pleasant to live in. This has to do mostly with the people. The people in the villages are usually wonderful. This is not to say they don't have bad people, but usually they are way more friendly than city people.

I taught for several years at a Chinese university, and most Chinese students I've interviewed see China as being in a similar, although not entirely the same, as Japan. Right now housing in China is horribly expensive, even in rural locations, and people on average DON'T earn much money. By expensive, I am talking about paying $150,000-$500,000 for a very, very small apartment. Try doing this while making only $5000 a year (the average urban Chinese salary). Again, this is not meant as an insult, but to paint a realistic picture of how hard people struggle and work. The reason people have fewer financial problems is because families pool their money and resources together, and people typically avoid debt; however, this is changing for the younger generation.

For people living in America, the grass is always greener on the other side, and the same goes for many people living in China. Either way, regardless if America is developed or China is rapidly developing, average people in both places have immense financial struggles. Because China is doing well and looks good from a numbers and statistics point of view (the bean counters perspective), people ignore the fact that the average salary is less than $10,000, yet the average price of a home in a major city like Shanghai, Beijing, Guangzhou, or Shenzhen (where most of the jobs are) will cost you anywhere from $100,000-$500,000. Try affording this on less than $10,000 a year. It's very hard for the average Chinese, even if the family helps. My point is that people in China have challenges just as in America, and the grass in not any greener on the other side for the common man.

Funny how a hundred years ago the British sent the Chinese opium to make them dumb and lazy.Now the Chinese are sending us cheap credit,and cheap gadgets to make us dumb and lazy.

Strange. I thought everyone was equal under communism.

I stay in Stanford hosiptal for one night without any operation, just observation, and it costs me $72,867.97....... That money could provide 100 years for for the whole village.......

Many will remain impoverished HERE as well in the U.S.S.A. once the communist mentality and way of governance takes hold. So much for the proletariat rising up in masse to achieve a better quality of life. LOL

Why don't people talk about how to solve our own economic problem instead of thinking how badly China is doing. China may have huge poverty problem in the rural area but they have been poor a long time and things can only get better. Here, we are doing from good to bad and better to worse. Our middle income is shrinking and our politician do not have the political will to reverse it. Not sure how effective is China's policy but unless we are doing better here, we should just shut the f''k up and focus on our own problem before China really catches up.

Countries within the European Union are hoping that China will use its reserves to help bailing out its insolvent members. With hundreds of millions of people living in conditions like this, how can that be justified?

This is not new news.This situation exists in many countries especially developing nations.It even occurs is so called developed nations.Go from Chicago or New York to Mississippi or Alabama.Wage differances and poverty exist.To make $12 a day in China in a country village is somewhat relative to the cost of living.There $12 dollars may be like $60 to us and that is only what a lot of people make if they are lucky enough to have a job

I was in China. In XiAn for 10 day in early Oct.... China is not as the rosie pix as the government's showcase. Very bad... However, it is not our business. We ahve to take care of our business.

Is it right for a country that has laws against slavery, indentured servitude, and the general abuse of laborers to outsource manufacturing and import goods from countries that do not? You will find few people of any political stripe who will say yes, particularly from amongst those that shop at Wal-Mart.

What's the big discovery about this? All developing countries have rich urban areas and poor rural areas. Is this something the author has found out for the first time? This can be seen in most Asian developing countries. It takes time to get to a developed state...is that surprising to the author?? This is a dumb article.

20 years ago, all of China was like that. This is certainly a "glass half empty" article.

they were just showing on t.v the americans now going there to work

You conveniently forget to mention that 100 million rural residents a year are moving out of poverty. Also, millions of those living in the cities are young people sending their paychecks back to rural areas. Come on -- a little honesty here instead of sensationalism.

Hmm...It would seem that America and China are on opposite courses...China going from poor to rich and the US going from rich to poor. One common thread...the US has led the charge in both cases.

Communism, Capitalism, if your take home pay won't take you home , the shackle around your wallet is just as effective as the one around your ankle

Dan- come visit me in the arkansas delta or go hiking in appalachia.

for those of us wanting to maintain a traditional way of life, corporate capitalism is the "village party leader" actively works to make it impossible.

for those of us wanting to betray our heritage (and usually our families) for economic gain, corporate capitalism is the savior.

limit corporations. unbridle free markets. systemic risk is a myth. productivity is corporate code word for enslavement.

Call me ol' fashioned,but some of us like the simple/traditional life vs. the RAT RACE of "urban exsistance!" We know how to "do without and like it!" We will be and are the foundation of what it is to truely live uninhibited and self sufficient, to carry on traditions, and be true to the end! Most people judge us for what we dont have;which makes them blind to the freedoms we do have. Kudos to those that live in the "villages" of the world. My defination of progress is: Mans attempt to take something that works and screw it up!"

An accurate report but you don't have to go up into the mountains to find such poverty in China. You can just go behind the facade of modern buildings in any city that surrounds each block and there you'll find living conditions that would horrify you.