Invisible and heavy shackles
Until China breaks down the barriers between town and countryside, it cannot unleash the buying power of its people—or keep its economy booming
ON THE hilly streets of Chongqing, men with thick bamboo poles loiter for customers who will pay them to carry loads. The “stick men”, as they are called, hang the items from either end of the poles and heave them up over their shoulders. In a city where the Communist Party chief, Bo Xilai, likes to sing old revolutionary songs, these workers should be hymned as heroes. Yet few of them are even classed as citizens of the city where they live.
This article appeared in the Briefing section of the print edition under the headline “Invisible and heavy shackles”
From the May 8th 2010 edition
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