Chinese internal migration

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Chinese Internal Migration
From the moment China first embarked on significant economic developments roughly three decades past, the country has experienced unparalleled social transformations. Rapid urbanization and economic reforms have considerably resulted to large-scale internal migration, a behavior usually including movement from rural regions to towns and cities. People engaging in these relocations tend to dos so in search for employment or better work opportunities typically available only in urban areas. Official records place Chinese migration workers at about 36 percent of the entire workforce in China. Internal migration tends to have a significant impact on the migrating citizens as well as the regions they migrate to or from. This paper evaluates economic, social, environmental and political influences Chinese internal migration has had on the origin and destination places for the migrants.
1. Who and Where
For the past three decades, China has undergone the largest internal migration in human history. In fact, statistics reveal that about 160 million Chinese people migrated from rural regions within this period to towns and cities in search for better lives and employment opportunities. Sichuan, Anhui, and Guizhou are the main primary origins from where a majority of Chinese internal migrants originate. Philips indicates that nearly 11.5 million residents of Guizhou live below poverty line out of which about two million are in chronic poverty (n.

p). Residents from these areas are aware of their weak economic conditions and acknowledge the need for quick solutions. Additionally, the Chinese government is aware of the status and seeks to alleviate the problem by trying to bridge the currently massive gap between the wealthy and poor and urban and rural areas. Philips reveals an underway project Chinese government has that aim at relocating about two million Guizhou people from the remote and poverty-stricken place to nearby towns (n.p). While quoting Zhao Khezi, the area’s party secretary, Philips says that it is unlikely for Guizhou to rid of its poverty issues in the next half century even with government’s intervention and therefore, relocation is an ideal strategy (n.p).
2. Impact on the Migrant’s Destination
Migration’s contribution to Chinese economic growth is significant with estimations revealing 20 percent contribution between 2001 and 2010. This fact suggests a considerable economic improvement in the new areas of resident the migrants relocated. Philips suggests that there is a huge gap between rural and urban places regarding economic and environmental development (n.d). A Guizhou interviewee informs Philips how bad the area’s infrastructure is and unavailability of clean water. While the situation in urban areas is significantly different and characterized by good infrastructure among other things, it is evident that migrant’s contribution goes, in large part, to further improvements to their destination than their rural origins further widening the gap.
Philips also suggests the possibility of political unrest that the increasing divide between the poor and the rich, urban and rural places pose among the poor populace (n.p). And in attempts to curb such occurrences, the government hence took on relocation as an ideal way of improving the villagers’ lives. It is also imperative noting that migration has various social effects such as labor standards violations and class and inequality issues. Demurger, Marc, Shi, and Ximing points out city residents earn 1.3 times more than their long-term countrymen migrant counterparts (613). Fang and Dewen add that migrants enjoy fewer benefits and compensation than urban dwellers (265). This data indicate inequality between urban residents and rural migrants. It is also noteworthy of the environmental impact of relocation to the cities. The case of Guizhou’s plan to relocate about two million people to a better area implies that the government will have to create jobs for these citizens to sustain themselves in a foreign place. Philips acknowledges an ongoing project of building an industrial park in Songtao to provide employment opportunities. Increased industrialization is responsible for China’s current environmental problems which rank the country among the leaders in causing acid rain, global climate change, ozone depletion and biodiversity loss (Economy n.p). It is hence, obvious that destination regions have large environmental issues resulting from increased industrialization.
3. Effect on Migrant’s Area of Origin
Massive relocation to urban areas causes tremendous influences on rural places. Scheineson indicates that 45 percent of internal migrants were between the age range of 16 and 25, thus suggesting these origins lose a significant percentage of a resourceful population (n.p). Additionally, these areas experience social issues such as increased inequality between rural and urban, poor infrastructure and limited access to valuable resources such as water and electricity (Philips n.p). However, these places do not experience similar impacts on environmental changes since the areas remain unindustrialized and therefore, little pollution is witnessed here. Economically, the abandoned regions tend to have the least economic development as much emphasis is accorded to cities and towns. Production in rural areas is little due to reduced labor force and limited access to other resources such as good infrastructure and technologies.
In conclusion, Chinese internal migration is a significant occurrence ever occurred in the history of human migration due to its immensity. Search for improved lives and working prospects are the core contributors to this phenomenon where people abandon their rural origins and resettle in urban places. Nevertheless, economic environmental and social effects associate this activity in which the current economic development distribution between the two locations is unequal. Additionally, increased industrialization has caused tremendous environmental damages including ozone depletion. Lastly, the unequal distribution of wealth potentially presents unrest from the poor population who demand rectification of the issue.
Works Cited
Démurger, Sylvie; Marc Gurgand; Shi Li; Ximing Yue. “Migrants as Second-Class workers in
Urban China? A Decomposition Analysis. Journal of Comparative Economics, 2009, 37 (4): 610–628
Economy, Elizabeth. “China’s Environmental Challenge: Political, Social and Economic
Implications.” Council on Foreign relations. 2003. Retrieved from http://www.cfr.org/china/chinas-environmental-challenge-political-social-economic-implications/p5573Fang, Cai and Dewen, Wang. “Impacts of Internal Migration on Economic Growth and Urban
Development in China.” Institute of Population and Labor Economics. Retrieved from http://essays.ssrc.org/acrossborders/wp-content/uploads/2009/08/ch11.pdfPhilips, Tom. “Two million to be moved in one of largest relocations in Chinese history.” The
Telegrap. N.d. Retrieved from http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/9648698/Two-million-to-be-moved-in-one-of-largest-relocations-in-Chinese-history.htmlScheineson, Andrew. “China’s Internal Migrants.” Council on Foreign relations. 2009. Retrieved from
http://www.cfr.org/china/chinas-internal-migrants/p12943