Social issues in China

According to Professor Jianrong, official statistics show the number of recorded incidents of mass unrest are "boiling ... to the point of explosion". They have risen from 8,709 in 1993 to more than 90,000 in each 2007 through 2009. Reasons cited include an aggrieved class of dispossessed migrants and unemployed workers, a deep loss of faith in the system among many Chinese, and a weakening in the traditional means of state control. Professor Hu Xingdou from Beijing University of Technology stated that corruption, state monopolies, the widening wealth gap, and increasing costs of housing, education, and medical care all significantly contribute to unrest. He identified land seizures and the growing wealth disparity as the top two factors, noting that since the start of Deng Xiaoping's reforms in 1979, the disparity between urban and rural populations has increased from 2.56:1 in 1978 to 3.33:1 in 2009. Urban income in 1978 was 343 yuan whilst rural income stood at 134 yuan; in 2009, the corresponding figures were 17,175 yuan and 5,153 yuan respectively. Despite the overall increase in urban income, unemployment, unpaid wages, and police misconduct are sources of grievance. Corruption is a very big issue in China. ==Regional imbalances==

• Rural-urban disparity and the wealth gap Since the reform and opening up in China began, income inequality has increased significantly. The Gini Coefficient, an income distribution gauge, has worsened from 0.3 back in 1986 to 0.42 in 2011. Poverty researchers recognize anything above 0.4 as potentially socially destabilizing. The growing wealth gap can be seen as a byproduct of China's economic and social development policies. The reform and opening up were carried out in two stages. The first stage, in the late 1970s and early 1980s, involved the de-collectivization of agriculture, the opening up of the country to foreign investment, and permission for entrepreneurs to start businesses. A large percentage of industries still remained state-owned. The second stage of reform, in the late 1980s and 1990s, involved the privatization and contracting out of much state-owned industry. The 1985 lifting of price controls was a major reform, and the lifting of protectionist policies and regulations soon followed, although state monopolies in the commanding heights of the economy such as banking and petroleum remained. These reforms may have resulted in the adverse effects of having a widening inequity between the rich and the poor which subsequently may cause social and political instability, discrimination in access to areas such as public health, education, pensions and unequal opportunities for the Chinese people. The inequality in income in China can also be seen as a rural-urban income gap especially with the widely criticized social development policy, the Hukou (household registration) System in place. Market income – mainly wages – has been the driving factor in shaping urban income inequality since the reform and opening up in China while the widening rural-urban income gap is due to low salaries for employees and migrants in many companies coupled with rapidly growing profits for the management of State-owned enterprises, real estate developers and some private companies. The urban per capita net income stood at 17,175 yuan ($2,525) in 2009, in contrast to 5,153 yuan in the countryside, with the urban-to-rural income ratio being 3.33:1, according to figures from the National Bureau of Statistics. The Hukou System has been long seen as an institutionalized source of inequality and disparity among the population and source of population control seen a deterrence factor for rural citizens to seek a higher standard of living in the cities as rural citizens will be denied access to urban housing and education for their children. It is also seen as a legacy of the dualistic economy, serving as a highly effective measure of limiting urban migration. • Coastal-hinterland imbalance • Digital divide ==Employment==

Employment distribution has been an important issue for the Chinese Government ever since it began initiating reforms. The previous state-led system of employment has been restructured to accommodate the market economy. Its negative effects include the massive layoffs and the cracks to the household registration system, which sent many rural Chinese to seek employment in the cities. These factors gave rise to the competitive labor force and unemployment. Employment levels differ from region to region, with stronger concentrations of unemployment in the interior. The unemployment trend is attributed in part to the efforts of the Chinese Government to make its SOEs (State Owned Enterprises), which had a redundancy rate at an estimated 25-30% in 1999, These reforms culminated in the widespread layoffs of SOE workers during the period known as xiagang (下岗), which dramatically increased urban unemployment and reshaped China's labor market. On the other hand, as of late 2011, the heavily industrialized coastal areas and cities are in fact experiencing an employment shortage due to the runaway growth of the economy. Guangdong province alone needs at least 1 million workers to cover the shortage. It is important to note, however, that unemployment elsewhere causes millions to leave home in the rural areas. By the end of 2009, for instance, 120 million workers, who lost their jobs due to the global economic crisis that affected China's manufacturing industry, trooped to areas such as Guangdong to find better opportunities. The government's recent response to the unemployment problem has been viewed favorably because of a shift in perspective. Today, the state approaches the issue, not as a political problem but a socio-economic problem that require socio-economic solutions. China's legal system is facing the intricate challenges posed by the political and social dynamics resulting from its rapid economic expansion. A significant issue within contemporary China revolves around the treatment of workers within the framework of a capitalist economy operating within a socialist political system. There are also related social problems to unemployment. These include the fact that the country's social insurance system is considered within the primitive stage of development, exposing employees to further problems in cases when the government allows the companies they work for to be liquidated. ==Crime==

• Increase in corporate irregularity a.k.a. white-collar crime. • Close tie between organized crime and corruption. • Allegations of counterfeiting. • Increased instances of alleged fraud and scams (including people claiming supernatural powers, quack medicines, etc.) • The resurgence of Chinese organized crime. ==Social unrest==

• Media censorship • Dissatisfaction with corrupt government officials. • Large protests against local government/businesses due to unfair treatment (usually land and expropriation-related issues) and ensuing persecution. • Homeowners refuse to repay loans on unfinished properties. ==Discrimination==

Regional discrimination • Regional elitism (mainly in Beijing and Shanghai) Gender discrimination Since the establishment of the Chinese constitution, gender equality gained unprecedented importance for the Chinese state. Their efforts were focused towards extending women's rights politically, economically, culturally and socially. For example, throughout the past few decades China integrated a series of laws and programs forbidding sex-selective abortions, protecting mothers' rights, improving the livelihood of girls, and criminalizing discriminatory employer practices. In multiple sectors of Chinese society women still face discrimination. First, the employment sector reveals several mechanisms disadvantaging women from an equal position in the work force. Notably, the rising wage gap, the reproduction of stereotypes in job opportunities, the confinement of women to lower paid posts, and the unfair practices of penalizing women for motherhood duties. These contradicting claims are likely due to the complex nature of measuring gender discrimination; specifically, not accounting for factors such as: location, sector, or biological differences. Feminists in China speak out on issues of violence against women, employment inequalities, and discriminatory Chinese traditions and policies. For instance, in 2018 more than 30 million Chinese citizens participated in the #MeToo movement on social media platforms in order to raise awareness against sexual harassment. Thus, the internet has become an important tool for Chinese society to fight against gender discrimination, and eradicate this social issue. ==Educational pressure==

• Common with other East Asian countries is the extreme pressure from friends, family, and society to perform well in extremely competitive schools, (especially in Gaokao, the university entrance exams) this can result in unethical behaviour performed by parents or students (bribery, cheating, etc. to get into best schools) • Rural-urban inequality • Lack of strong relationship between state-funded research and the private sector, e.g. poor commercialization and technology transfer of university research • Lack of critical scholarship and monitoring of research quality • Higher Education System is challenged by the transition of economy system in China (from controlled economy to market economy), the methods of production (from diversified to intensive), the conflicts between ancient Chinese cultures, modern Chinese cultures and western cultures. Students are often barred from higher education because the right of admission of a large number of universities is held by most educational administrative departments and local authorities. In addition, Students and Faculties in Higher Education disregard academic duty while demanding for more academic freedom due to the lack of effective regulations. ==Homelessness==

• Perceived loss of traditional Confucian morals and beliefs • Inflexible ideologies taught in public • Conflicting reports of excessive materialism • Discrepancy between the free market and the lack of liberal individualism grounded in law in accordance to socialist ideology == See also ==