Feb 3, 2012
Translated by Zhu Na

Almost two-thirds of urban residents say they don't think they've shared in the benefits of economic development of their city, according to a recent survey of residents of three of China's largest cities, Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou.

The Canton Public Opinion Research Center, a Guangzhou-based non-government and non-profit public opinion research organization, interviewed a total 2,000 urban residents from Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou by phone, asking them about their experience and understanding of local economic developments over the past year, focusing specifically on whether they felt they had benefitted from economic growth and asking them about their expectations in that regard.

The results of the poll were released on Feb 2.

The research revealed that those who are self-employed or working at foreign companies or privately-owned companies, prefer tax cuts as a method of sharing the benefits of development; while those who are working "within the system" (体制内), such as people employed at state-owned companies, say they would prefer to see personal incomes increase.

Those with less stable employment say they're more interested in seeing reductions in the fees charged for various public services, improvements in social security coverage and an increase in the payments made to poorer households.

People from different age groups also have significantly different expectations in regards to best way to share the benefits of economic development.

The report shows that urban residents under 30 have a preference for being paid more, working less and paying less tax.

Those aged between 31 and 50 have a preference for paying less tax and lifting social security standards.

Those over 50 would like to see the standards of all kinds of social security lifted.

A report about the survey that appeated in the China Business News helps to give some concrete examples of what particular individuals would like to see changed.

The report quotes Chen Jian (陈坚), who works at a real estate company in Beijing, as saying that he's still frustrated with not able to afford a house, although he earns 120,000 yuan a year, which is pretty good when compared to others of his age. Mr. Chen currently rents an apartment on Beijing's northern 4th Ring Road for 3,200 yuan a month.
 
The paper also mentions the case of the 28 year-old Mr. Xiao who works for an advertising company in Guangzhou. Mr Xiao said that he hoped that the costs of public services could come down, noting how daily trasnsportation costs are too expensive.

"Every day I have to spend almost eight yuan on taking the bus and subway to work, which works out at about three or four hundred yuan a month," Mr. Xiao told the China Business News.

Links and Sources
Canton Public Opinion Research Center: 共享发展：“北上广”市民的感受与期待
China Business News: 共享发展？“北上广”六成被调查者说“没有”