The Other Great Wall: China’s Urban-Rural Divide

Nappinnai Dhamodharan, Kritajnya Raghunathan and Akanksha Soni

China has garnered interest in the world as it emerges as one of the largest nations, in terms of population and economic potential. While China is Asia’s largest economy it also has Asia’s largest urban-rural divide. While urban-rural disparities exist in almost every country in the world, they exist in a unique form in China. The divide has been intentionally exacerbated by the Chinese government.
The question that has been asked is: how has the government widened this divide? The repercussions of the divide have been massive with respect to income inequality, regional inequality and the growing social unrest. While the government has realised that turning a blind eye to the divide is no longer feasible, the viability of the New Type Urbanisation Plan (looked at as the panacea to all the issues) has been evaluated. These are the questions which have been answered in The Other Great Wall: China’s Urban-Rural Divide.

Nappinnai Dhamodharan, Kritajnya Raghunathan and Akanksha Soni

Nappinnai Dhamodharan is a third year student of BA Economics in Stella Maris College. She is passionate about economics and its allied fields. She completed her schooling from Vana Vani Matriculation Higher Secondary School.

Kritajnya Raghunathan is a third year undergraduate student of Economics from Stella Maris College. She enjoys learning about international affairs and policy. She is also a Bharatanatyam dancer. She completed her schooling from Lady Andal Venkatasubba Rao School.

Akanksha Soni is a final year undergraduate student of Economics from Stella Maris College, Chennai. She completed her schooling from DAV Girls Senior Secondary School, Chennai. She is passionate about economics and allied subjects such as international trade, philosophy and mathematics.

Contents

Note from Internship Director
Foreword
Preface
Acknowledgements
Introduction

1. Hukou as a Medium for Dualism
2. The Repercussions
3. New Type Urbanisation Plan: A Panacea?
4. Conclusion
5. Afterthought