Unpacking the Paradox of China’s Hardworking Poor

Workers produce garments at a textile factory that supplies clothes to fast fashion e-commerce company Shein in Guangzhou, China, on June 11, 2024. Jade Gao/AFP via Getty Images

Commentary

The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) finds itself ensnared in a self-inflicted economic imbalance, marked by excessive production and weak consumer demand. Beneath the surface lies a deeper contradiction: an exceptionally hardworking population that sees little return in wages.