The propaganda specialists in Guangdong Province must have seen this one coming: Chinese aren’t very happy.
Earlier this year Huang Huahua, the Communist Party chief there, began promoting the “Happy Guangdong” campaign, an effort at mass sloganeering meant to head off the rising tide of social discontent. But it does not appear to have worked, either in Guangdong or elsewhere.
Satisfaction with life for ordinary Chinese has not grown as fast as the economy over the past 30 years.
The results of a survey on the matter, conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Capital University of Economics and Business, were published on June 11.
Residents in 30 provincial capital cities in China were asked about their quality of life.
According to the rating scale used, a score of 75 and above indicates basic satisfaction with life. But the average rating given by residents in these cities was 49.71; Haikou, in Guangdong Province, had the highest score of 55.08.
About 70,000 households were quizzed about their feelings, questions ranging from the cost of living, the environment, domestic conveniences and the pace of life, according to Caijing, a business magazine.
The scores of high powered cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou ranked in 20th, 23rd and 25th places.
Zhang Liancheng, the Dean of School of Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business, was surprised at the results, according to Guangming Daily, a regime mouthpiece. He thought that people’s happiness should have followed broad economic trends.
But the general public is in agreement with the results.
Mr. Chen from Hangzhou City told The Epoch Times that decades ago people were hoodwinked by politics and “they were content as long as the most basic needs were satisfied.”
Now, the age of Internet, he said, “People get to know the other parts of the world a lot more than before. We’ve found out that our legitimate economic, political and democratic rights are not granted. Therefore, we realize that we are in fact not happy.”
Added to this are the injustices built into the system of communist rule. “Many people feel the pressure and stress. Things we are entitled to are not accessible to us through normal means. So we are not happy at all.”
Mr. Zhang from Shanghai said that the growth in GDP has not trickled down. “Social benefits are still meager… Senior citizen benefits, medical care and the educational system do not reach all parts of the society. The common man worries about the future,” he said.
He also pointed out the persecution of people with faith, such as Falun Gong practitioners and Christians, and the repression of activists like Ai Weiwei.
The recent riots in Inner Mongolia, Hunan and Guangdong are “because people are not happy,” he said. “Inflation is eating away our bank accounts. No doubt we feel unhappy.
“The official media says people are happy. But most of us have been made to put up such a front.”
Mr. Li from Guangxi Province said there’s a difference between wealth and happiness, and that human rights are an important part of happiness. “Democratic activists are persecuted. We do not have freedom of speech either. Those who appeal are also persecuted.”
The mass demoralization of Chinese society also troubles Mr Li: “The crime rate is high. It is unsafe for women to go out wearing jewelry. Every family has to live behind security doors and window mesh, as if we are in a prison. How can we be happy?”
Read the original Chinese article.
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Earlier this year Huang Huahua, the Communist Party chief there, began promoting the “Happy Guangdong” campaign, an effort at mass sloganeering meant to head off the rising tide of social discontent. But it does not appear to have worked, either in Guangdong or elsewhere.
Satisfaction with life for ordinary Chinese has not grown as fast as the economy over the past 30 years.
The results of a survey on the matter, conducted by the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and Capital University of Economics and Business, were published on June 11.
Residents in 30 provincial capital cities in China were asked about their quality of life.
According to the rating scale used, a score of 75 and above indicates basic satisfaction with life. But the average rating given by residents in these cities was 49.71; Haikou, in Guangdong Province, had the highest score of 55.08.
About 70,000 households were quizzed about their feelings, questions ranging from the cost of living, the environment, domestic conveniences and the pace of life, according to Caijing, a business magazine.
The scores of high powered cities, such as Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou ranked in 20th, 23rd and 25th places.
Zhang Liancheng, the Dean of School of Economics at the Capital University of Economics and Business, was surprised at the results, according to Guangming Daily, a regime mouthpiece. He thought that people’s happiness should have followed broad economic trends.
But the general public is in agreement with the results.
Mr. Chen from Hangzhou City told The Epoch Times that decades ago people were hoodwinked by politics and “they were content as long as the most basic needs were satisfied.”
Now, the age of Internet, he said, “People get to know the other parts of the world a lot more than before. We’ve found out that our legitimate economic, political and democratic rights are not granted. Therefore, we realize that we are in fact not happy.”
Added to this are the injustices built into the system of communist rule. “Many people feel the pressure and stress. Things we are entitled to are not accessible to us through normal means. So we are not happy at all.”
Mr. Zhang from Shanghai said that the growth in GDP has not trickled down. “Social benefits are still meager… Senior citizen benefits, medical care and the educational system do not reach all parts of the society. The common man worries about the future,” he said.
He also pointed out the persecution of people with faith, such as Falun Gong practitioners and Christians, and the repression of activists like Ai Weiwei.
The recent riots in Inner Mongolia, Hunan and Guangdong are “because people are not happy,” he said. “Inflation is eating away our bank accounts. No doubt we feel unhappy.
“The official media says people are happy. But most of us have been made to put up such a front.”
Mr. Li from Guangxi Province said there’s a difference between wealth and happiness, and that human rights are an important part of happiness. “Democratic activists are persecuted. We do not have freedom of speech either. Those who appeal are also persecuted.”
The mass demoralization of Chinese society also troubles Mr Li: “The crime rate is high. It is unsafe for women to go out wearing jewelry. Every family has to live behind security doors and window mesh, as if we are in a prison. How can we be happy?”
Read the original Chinese article.
[email protected]
