The numbers making news around China during the week of Dec 10, 2012
700
Number of mountains that Lanzhou plans to flatten for a price of roughly 22 billion yuan in order to build a new development zone. The Guardian
10,000
Number of unattended children with foreign nationalities left by parents in Fuzhou. China Radio International
0.61
China’s Gini Co-efficient (measuring wealth inequality) in 2010, according to China Household Finance Survey Center. This would make it among the highest in the world. Bloomberg
0.5 percent
Proportion of China’s income that goes to the poorest 20 percent of its population, according to the same China Household Finance Survey Center poll. Wall Street Journal
232
Number of journalists imprisoned around the world in 2012 – the highest number ever recorded. The Guardian
474
Number of “cloned” scam taxis seized in Shanghai so far this year. Shanghaiist
22nd and 26th
Ranks of Beijing and Shanghai respectively in ECA International world ranking of cities with the highest cost of living for expats. This is up from 35th and 41st respectively last year. Wall Street Journal