China's Internal Immigration

Some say that China is the world's next superpower. What does the future truly hold for the world's most populous nation? Perhaps a look at its internal numbers can shed some light on this issue.

The People's Republic of China has about 200 to 300 million urban-dwellers, leaving about a billion who reside in the countryside. China's per capita income is very low (around $400.00 to $500.00 per year, although I've seen figures up to $1,000.00) precisely because 80% of the population basically practices semi-subsistence agriculture: They grow enough for themselves, with little left over.

The "purchasing parity" criterion may also be factored in when one considers any of the above figures. For example, a single dollar equivalent goes a long way in the PRC, particularly where rents are the equivalent of $50.00 per month in some areas. The rural agricultural sector can afford basic health care only because of Communist policies. There is, as it stands, an internal migration of seasonal workers from the countryside who want to find city jobs but evidently are not allowed to settle in the urbanized areas.

It is true, I believe, that if one were to factor out the rural population, the per capita income of the PRC would be considerably higher. Nevertheless, the claim that 80% of the population is still rural is not subject to much dispute. Domestic poverty is a national problem and must be resolved if China is to advance toward the rank of the world's most powerful nation.