Rustbelt revival
A decade after an explosion of unrest in China’s north-east, a remarkable recovery is under way
TEN years ago, thousands of workers from state-owned factories marched through bleak industrial cities in China's north-eastern rustbelt. The protesters filled streets with chants condemning official corruption and demanding better treatment. “We have a government of hooligans,” read one of their banners. Back then the decaying north-east appeared to be one of China's most unstable regions. Today it is among the fastest-growing, and is relatively free of large-scale unrest. But officials still fret.
This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline "Rustbelt revival"
China June 16th 2012
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