China's Premier: Don't Sacrifice Rural Interests in Push for Urbanization

Perhaps the best starting place in a talk about urbanization would be China.  Currently the worlds most populous country, China is experiencing a large amount of economic and population growth, both closely tied to its current rate of urbanization.  The article discusses the issue of urbanization in light of the large amount of rural citizens that live in China.  China’s current premier, a job very similar to that of the prime minister in England, is being replaced by his vice premier.  The current premier, Wen Jiabao,  warns that if China wishes to continue its successful urbanization, it needs to keep in mind that the interests of its rural communities need to be kept in mind. 

                A large part of Jiabao’s platform included benefits for rural citizens as well as a lowering of the income gap between rural and urban areas.  The premier set to replace Jiabao, a man known as Li Keqiang, runs his platform based on boosting the current rate of urbanization in China.  He believes that urbanization is key to future growth in the country.  Jiabao’s slogan at the beginning of his administration was to build “a new socialist countryside”.  The current premier finds it very important that in seeking urbanization, those that are a part of the rural community should not be snuffed out, and their interests should be held as important as those of the rural community.

                China is the largest country in the world by population and almost the largest in total area.  To begin with them in a talk about urbanization is like beginning with Mozart in a talk about classical music.  There is much that can be learned through a careful study of their progress as a nation.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324610504578273702222873798.html

Andrew Clouse

January 31, 2013

9:48 PM