Migrant Workers at Shanghai Station. Credit: China Supertrends via Flickr
What’s it like to be unemployed in China? That’s a question that a near-record high number of people faced last month, amid the Covid-induced lockdowns across parts of China.
Beijing has responded to the country’s economic slowdown with a package of relief measures. But few of those policies are designed to provide direct aid to individuals and households. Narrow eligibility requirements and meager payments mean that few among China’s unemployed are adequately protected by the country’s social safety net.
The tension between China’s promise of prosperity to its people, and the Chinese government’s inadequate support for those who fail to achieve it, has long persisted. This week, The Wire focuses on one aspect of China’s social security system — unemployment insurance: who it covers, how it compares to the rest of the world, and what it means for China’s economic prosperity.
WHO GETS UNEMPLOYMENT?
To qualify for unemployment benefits in
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Why is one of Taiwan's largest media groups — Want Want China Times Media Group — spreading anti-U.S. rhetoric? Largely because its billionaire owner, Tsai Eng-meng, is known to sympathize with the Chinese Communist Party and favors unification with the mainland. Now, with Taiwan gearing up for a critical presidential election, Want Want’s efforts are picking up and helping to normalize CCP talking points.
A look at ZPMC: how it came to dominate ports around the world; its role in Chinese foreign policy; and the consequences of its links to the Chinese state.
The author and academic talks about how trade has actually changed over the last 40 years; why China's rise is linked to Asia's regionalization; and why international supply chains are efficient and resilient.
