In the aftermath of the earthquake that hit one of China’s poorest areas in Gansu Province, thousands of homes were left in ruins. Despite the Chinese Communist Party’s (CCP) claim that the region had successfully eradicated poverty, the earthquake brought the reality to light.
‘Poverty Alleviation’
At 11:59 p.m. local time on Dec. 18, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Jishishan county in Linxia prefecture, Gansu. At least 127 people were reportedly killed, and hundreds were injured. Images from the scene show the destruction of many adobe houses, mostly made of clay.The WeChat public account “Uncle Bing Talks About Things” said in a post that the Gansu earthquake exposed the reality of rural poverty to the Chinese populace: “In the earthquake-stricken area, there were houses from the 1980s, even 1950s and 1960s.”
Some Chinese netizens criticized the construction quality of the homes: “What kind of houses are these? They’re entirely constructed of adobe. How can houses like these withstand earthquakes?”
Others questioned the CCP’s poverty alleviation policy: “What about the promised rural revitalization? Where did the funds allocated by higher authorities end up? It truly leaves people bewildered.”
According to the Gansu government’s report, Jishishan had 18,195 impoverished households and over 83,000 individuals facing poverty. However, the report claims that since early 2014, the county has seen a “significant reduction in the poverty incidence rate, dropping from 36.36 percent to 1.15 percent in 2019” due to Beijing’s so-called poverty alleviation efforts. “All 90 impoverished villages have successfully lifted themselves out of poverty, achieving a 100 percent elimination rate for poverty-stricken villages.”
“As of the end of 2019, the entire county achieved the milestone of eliminating poverty, with the removal of the poverty-stricken designation from the region,” reported Gansu Economic News.
Chenjia was one of the villages hardest hit by the earthquake in the county.
Chenjia local Ma Hailin lost his life when his mud house, built about 18 years ago, collapsed on him, Beijing Youth Daily reported. He could not be rescued in time after being trapped underneath the debris. His cousin told the news outlet that most village houses are made of clay, with some being renovated using a combination of solid and hollow bricks to cut costs.
Several villages near Dahejia town in Jishishan have houses with similar structures. Reporters from Chinese media Caixin visited the site after the earthquake and observed, “It’s nearly impossible to find houses that haven’t collapsed or developed cracks.”
Chenjia witnessed the most casualties, with villagers succumbing to collapsing houses, according to Caixin.
Monthly Income of 1,000 Yuan
The authorities of Chenjia and Hanshanjia villages said that 80 percent of the houses are uninhabitable, amounting to more than 1,000 households. They also disclosed that the average annual income per capita in rural areas is slightly over 8,000 yuan (about $1,120).A Chinese netizen shared that after witnessing the destruction of the adobe houses in the Gansu earthquake, the incident confirmed the claim that the average income of hundreds of millions of Chinese is 1,000 yuan (about $140).
“Previously, I doubted that hundreds of millions of people are earning such a low income. After observing the houses in the Gansu earthquake … now I believe it,” he wrote.
