Increasing income disparity in China

Description:

With the undertaking of many market reforms China has achieved sustained high growth and rapid progress in poverty reduction. The World Bank estimates that in the last two decades since reforms started average income per capita in the country has quadrupled while more than 270 million people have been lifted out of poverty. The dark side to these statistics lies in the current income disparity in the country. This income disparity can be seen between farmers and city dwellers and between the employed versus unemployed in the cities. The pace of the poor's growing affluence is by far slower when compared with the richer portion of China.

Caused by growth and migration to cities Results in a multi-level society which could lead to democracy or civil war.

1. Large gap between the country's urban and rural areas and between the booming coastal regions and underdeveloped western regions.
   
2. Jobless workers and migrant workers.
   

Enablers:

1. Income disparities between different areas and industries: Urbanites and those working in government monopolistic sectors, for example telecommunication and banking, generally earn much more than farmers and city dwellers in non-monopolistic industries.
2. Discrimination against different social identities: In China today, seldom can farmers gain an equal footing while competing with their urban counterparts in job-seeking. Such discrimination also further pushes farmers to a disadvantageous corner while they try to elevate themselves through other means, for instance education and vocational training.
3. Economic growth:
4. Improved transportation structure: As the transportation structure in China improves, more people are able to move to the city in work which increases the income disparity between city workers and farmers.
5. Increased number of households: An increase in the number of households makes more homes available for people to move into in the city. Moreover, the increase in the number of households is also contributing to the development of a more individualistic mentality and a decrease in collectivism. This decrease in collectivism further excerbates the income disparity issue as more people are concerned about their own success rather than the success of the community.
6. Government policy favoring economic growth: Income disparity worsens as the government continues to implement policies and programs that favor economic growth.
7. Elections of moderate factions of Communist Party: Moderate politicians move the focus from Communism to economic growth. The last two heads of state have been from the moderate party and have emphasized economic growth over Communism, leading to increasing income disparity.
8. Increasing education levels: As educational opportunities increase so does the rise of "blue collar" and "white collar" classes.

Inhibitors:

1. Must give priority to reform of taxation, social security, and more support for rural areas.
   
2. Considering collecting high-consumption taxation and legacy taxation as ways to reduce the rich-poor gap by
   the Chinese government.
   
3. Measures include building a framework for helping poor citizens and measures to help those unemployed.
   

Paradigms:

1) Adopted the policy of reform and opening to the outside world.
2) The country's per capita GDP has increased by five times.

Experts:

http://www.mof.gov.cn/index.htm
http://www.mof.gov.cn/english/english.htm

Timing:

The 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing

Web Resources:

1. People's Daily. 2002. China Urged to Heed Enlarging Income Disparity.
2. http://www.xinhuanet.com/english/index.htm
   
3. http://www.btmbeijing.com/contents/en/business/2005-09/focus/chinaamendtaxlaws