A boy with his younger brother. (Photo provided to chinadaily.com.cn)
Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou, the three major metropolises of China, have published their population data for the first half of the year. The number of residents in central Beijing decreased, while the growth rate in Guangzhou slowed. It is mainly poorer residents that are moving out of the metropolises. Beijing Youth Daily comments:
Some media outlets have used headlines such as "low-end population being moved out" in their reports. The phrase "low-end population" sounds discriminatory, but the fact is those moving out of the metropolises are mainly those living at the lower levels of society.
Some might argue that it is natural for the living costs in metropolises to be high and for poorer residents to move out when they can no longer afford them. But the so-called low-end population is also needed by society. They include street cleaners, restaurant staff, as well as physical laborers.
Different groups all have their different roles to play in society, and when policies result in poorer residents leaving the big cities because they can no longer afford to live in them, that's a serious problem that should arouse public concern.
Besides, the phenomenon also sends an alert that our social welfare system is still inadequate. It is necessary to improve our social security net so that the poor could live with equal dignity as the rich in the same metropolis.
