I will talk about work as translated to income, although it cannot relate to the world market. I give some figures, but I hope it is not complicated to follow.
What are we really talking about "poverty in rural China"? We are focused on the rural, because there has always been a great differential between city and country in income, services, taxes, and subsidies. I wouldn't claim any direct knowledge of the Urban, because I am only reading about village life.
The author asked about the poor, and his brother Changxian said without any hesitation: “What do you mean by poor?" If you are talking about food, housing, and clothing, there are no poor people in Gao Village nowadays.” It is true that no Gao villager would complain about hunger and there are no homeless people. They all seem well-fed, well-clothed and well-sheltered. Every child in Gao Village can afford to go to school, (9 years free) at least for the first years of school age, though some parents struggle when their children leave home to board at a high school.
China is changing so fast, it is difficult quote something from a book written some years before. It is said that about 50% of China is now urban. That is based on those that live in a city for 6 month or longer. But it is important to have some understanding of the Chinese hokou system of home registration. It has always been very difficult, if not impossible, to change your registration from rural to urban. A whole series of advantages come with an urban hukou.
China has a workforce of about 750 million. Of that, 293 might be migrant workers. Migrant means from rural to urban. So almost 300 million people are not really urban, but they are tied to their village of origin with their hukou. They can work in the city, but will never get pensions or medical assistance, or free education except from the village.
The hukou made migrant workers a possibility, why's that? For decades migrant workers had no rights, and they were horribly oppressed, long-long hours, 7 days a week, penalized for every minor infraction. It was a terrible life, but there was cash that was totally absent in the village. So it opened the possibility for savings, which were very meaningful back in the village, even if meager. No urban person would put up with that kind of working conditions, and that low pay.
By the 1990's only 10 houses were built in Gao Village (probably during all of the 20th century). Building a house would be the first thing, a lifetime project, that would motivate a Gao villager. The second motivation would be to get married, which is a huge expense with giant parties and dowries and preparations. After that, there is great prestige in buying a car.
Migrant work changed the whole complexion of Gao Village. Whereas agriculture has never given any upward mobility.
But the village is a guaranteed security. If you can't get a city job you can always come back and claim your share of the land and of the harvest. There probably are no homeless rural people. Also the clan system supports you.
What are we really talking about "poverty in rural China"? We are focused on the rural, because there has always been a great differential between city and country in income, services, taxes, and subsidies. I wouldn't claim any direct knowledge of the Urban, because I am only reading about village life.
The author asked about the poor, and his brother Changxian said without any hesitation: “What do you mean by poor?" If you are talking about food, housing, and clothing, there are no poor people in Gao Village nowadays.” It is true that no Gao villager would complain about hunger and there are no homeless people. They all seem well-fed, well-clothed and well-sheltered. Every child in Gao Village can afford to go to school, (9 years free) at least for the first years of school age, though some parents struggle when their children leave home to board at a high school.
China is changing so fast, it is difficult quote something from a book written some years before. It is said that about 50% of China is now urban. That is based on those that live in a city for 6 month or longer. But it is important to have some understanding of the Chinese hokou system of home registration. It has always been very difficult, if not impossible, to change your registration from rural to urban. A whole series of advantages come with an urban hukou.
China has a workforce of about 750 million. Of that, 293 might be migrant workers. Migrant means from rural to urban. So almost 300 million people are not really urban, but they are tied to their village of origin with their hukou. They can work in the city, but will never get pensions or medical assistance, or free education except from the village.
The hukou made migrant workers a possibility, why's that? For decades migrant workers had no rights, and they were horribly oppressed, long-long hours, 7 days a week, penalized for every minor infraction. It was a terrible life, but there was cash that was totally absent in the village. So it opened the possibility for savings, which were very meaningful back in the village, even if meager. No urban person would put up with that kind of working conditions, and that low pay.
By the 1990's only 10 houses were built in Gao Village (probably during all of the 20th century). Building a house would be the first thing, a lifetime project, that would motivate a Gao villager. The second motivation would be to get married, which is a huge expense with giant parties and dowries and preparations. After that, there is great prestige in buying a car.
Migrant work changed the whole complexion of Gao Village. Whereas agriculture has never given any upward mobility.
But the village is a guaranteed security. If you can't get a city job you can always come back and claim your share of the land and of the harvest. There probably are no homeless rural people. Also the clan system supports you.
.