Reporter:
The survey on people's quality of life in 2010 indicates that many Chinese believe they are always poorer than others around them. Not only those who make 2,000 to 6,000 yuan per month, but also many who make more than 10-thousand yuan per month also are dissatisfied with their own financial situation. Qi Hong is one of them.
"At first, I thought I had great potential in my career development. But as time passed, I found myself kind of stuck in the middle. I make about 18-thousand yuan per month, but I don't think I am rich. There are always people stronger and richer than you when you look around. It just depends on whether you've got a positive attitude in life."
Qi Hong is not alone. The survey conducted by the Horizon Consultative Company randomly interviewed more than four-thousand people between the ages of 16 and 60 in major cities like Beijing and Shanghai, as well as second- and third-tier cities and some small towns across the country. 20.1 percent of them said they felt poorer than others around them.
But among these people, only 6 percent said they believed their families had not worked hard enough to improve their situation, while 9 percent said a lack of knowledge and skills was a key factor. Other major factors identified as causes for poverty, included education, medical costs and retirement support.
Zhang Hui, the survey researcher from the Horizon Consultative Company, says 58 percent of those interviewed who rated themselves as comparatively poor generally attributed their situation to "lacking connections and weak social network" as the top factor.
"Many of them think their families already belong to the poor category, and that's why they don't have a valuable social network to help them to develop, which further causes today's poverty for them. Such an attitude is more prevalent in cities than in rural areas, and more serious among young people than older people."
Zhang Hui says an even more interesting finding is, not only those who consider themselves as poor believe this to be true, but also many wealthy people believe the reason why people are making not enough money is mainly because of social unfairness and the absence of social networks. Many also point to a widening wealth gap in the nation, saying China has become a society where the poor become poorer, and the rich get richer.
Zhang Hui says 90 percent of the survey respondents indicated they are proud of China's economic achievements, but at the same time unsatisfied with their own wealth growth.
"It's a very dangerous signal for the entire Chinese society since such thought becomes a prevailing understanding that it's social conditions causing poverty instead of individual effort. The reason for that feeling of helplessness among people is the existing income distribution system, and many people are not satisfied with the current income gap in the country. Compared to the enterprising spirit, it would generate a kind of negative power in our society which would reduce people's innovative ideas and slow down social development."
Zhang Hui also says the government has already started income distribution reform and made people's livelihoods and welfare priorities in the country's development.
Experts say a normal wealth gap should be a positive drive for people to work harder for a better future. But the current negative attitude prevalent in Chinese society indicates a stage of "poverty at heart" among many people, which is worse than actually being poor.
For CRI, I'm Liu Min.
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