Submitted By: Katie Hofman

I found an article on the New York Times online entitled “Chinese Premier Emphasizes Energy, Pollution and the Poor”.

In summary, the article discusses China’s plan to increase spending on education and healthcare in the poorest regions. Prime Minister Wen Jiaboa appears to realize the impact that the growing economy has had on the resources of China, as well as the affect on the gap between those living in the cities and those in the rural areas.

Is this new plan enough or has China already polluted and consumed more resources than available? I keep picturing the scenes in “China Rises” of the desolate plateau that is so dry that little can grow there. I think of the families who also found it difficult to survive. Will this plan offer them the necessary assistance, or is this lip-service made to boost the international view of China, while doing little to actually change the lives of the country’s residents?

Along those lines, the article mentions that the economic boom is essential to the maintenance of the Communist Party. I am reminded of the PBS Tank-Man segment and the deal that the government made with their people to trade economic opportunities for political freedoms. I wonder if this is a veiled version of a similar deal aimed at the poorest in the country.

The plan proposed by the Prime Minister seeks to reduce the gap between the poor and the middle class in China. What will this do for the companies who are reliant on the low-cost labor that the poorer citizens provide? In Prof. Ramezani’s lecture, we discussed the shift of low-cost labor from Japan to Korea to China. As that low-cost labor shifts to a new country, is there an industry ready to take its place as an employer of Chinese workers? Could the Chinese government’s plan to close the gap between the middle class and poor hasten the shift of labor out of China?

In conclusion, as I read the article, I was hopeful and pleased to hear that China is placing an emphasis on taking care of its citizens and resources. As this plan takes off, I am left thinking about what else they can do to assist those in rural regions.