living the dream

living the dream, originally uploaded by china.sixty4.

A man (a sweeper) sleeps on the backsteps to a large department store in the centre of the city

As "the great economic boom" continues to push China further ahead in both its economic wealth and status amongst the worlds "Super powers", many of its 1.4 billion citizens are being left behind.

"Income shock" such as failing crops, health problems and injury were the main cause of a decline in the incomes of the poorest 10 per cent of China's 1.3 billion people from 2001 to 2003, the World Bank said on Friday.

World Bank economists revealed last week that the incomes of more than 100 million Chinese had fallen by 2.4 per cent during a period when China's economy was growing at an average of about 10 per cent annually.

With over 70% of its population still living in rural areas away from the growth corridors of the south and east of China, and the rural population "growing increasingly" dissatisfied with the pace of reforms and corruption within their communities. The totalitarian "central government" in Beijing is becoming nervous about the state of unrest amongst its people.
photo: mhobbs