Gansu's Largest County Records Fewer Than Five Newborns Per Month | China Truths

Welcome to China Truths. In this episode, we will bring you the following stories. Massive asset transfers by Chinese citizens as the wealthy and elite prepare to flee. Gansu's largest county records fewer than five newborns per month. Now, let's dive into the details. It's all covered in today's China Truths. Massive asset transfers by Chinese citizens as the wealthy and elite prepare to flee. China's economic and political environment continues to deteriorate. In recent years, a growing number of Chinese people, including wealthy individuals, elites from various sectors, and ordinary citizens, have emigrated overseas. Even the second red generation, descendants of high-ranking Chinese officials, have been transferring assets and seeking to leave. Faced with high political pressure, a weakening economy, and soaring youth unemployment, more Chinese are fleeing the country, emigrating to nations such as the United States, Mexico, Thailand, Japan, Singapore, Australia, and Canada. According to official Japanese data, among the over 3 million foreign residents living in Japan in 2023, Chinese nationals accounted for the largest group of new immigrants, totaling 822,000. An October 2023 report by the Associated Press noted that the U.S. is facing an influx of Chinese migrants entering through the Darien Gap, a treacherous route spanning several countries. At the U.S.-Mexico border, U.S. Border Patrol arrested 22,187 Chinese nationals crossing illegally from Mexico between January and September 2023, nearly 13 times the number during the same period the previous year. Additionally, increasing numbers of Chinese are transferring significant amounts of capital abroad through methods such as cryptocurrency and shell companies. An October report by The Wall Street Journal highlighted that in the four quarters leading up to June, $254 billion in assets bypassed Chinese government regulations to move overseas. This figure surpasses the capital outflow during the last decade, even exceeding the wave triggered by the real estate downturn in 2015-2016. Experts believe the actual amount is even higher. Senior writer and independent commentator Kai Shinkuen said that the reasons for fleeing China are both political and economic. For elites, political factors often weigh more heavily. Those with foresight left long ago, while others realized the danger only after it directly affected them, often escaping under dire circumstances. Kai noted that in recent years, wealthy individuals have been leaving in droves, not only physically but also moving their capital abroad. Meanwhile, ordinary citizens are desperately fleeing to countries like the U.S. Independent TV producer Li Jun commented that even wealthy second-red generation members are eager to leave. Ordinary citizens, unable to transfer assets, are taking dangerous routes across borders. The number of individuals crossing through the U.S.-Mexico border has surged, especially after the pandemic triggered another wave of migrations. The Chinese government's strict zero-COVID policies, which sparked the white-paper revolution, devastated the economy and plunged domestic and foreign affairs into unprecedented crises. Today, Chinese society is in chaos, with frequent violent incidents. Japanese media veteran Akio Yaida wrote on Facebook on November 20 that recent indiscriminate killings in Zhuhai, Wuxi, and Changde, Hunan, have resulted in numerous casualties. Combined with earlier incidents, such as the attacks on Japanese schools in Shenzhen and Suzhou and the stabbing spree in Shanghai before China's National Day, these acts of social revenge are becoming increasingly common, described as the Zhang Xianzhong phenomenon. Zhang Xianzhong was a rebel leader during the late Ming dynasty who turned his wrath on weaker civilians when facing defeat. The term now refers to the growing violence in Chinese society characterized by killings for the sake of killing. Yaida attributes this phenomenon to President Xi Jinping's pursuit of grandiose ambitions, which has made Chinese society increasingly opaque, unfair, and repressive. Citizens have no channels to voice their grievances. Local governments, seeking to a facade of peace, block and detain petitioners attempting to visit Beijing for redress. As a result, those in dire straits face despair and resort to violence. Quoting Laozi, a sage in ancient China, Yaida said, When the people no longer fear death, what use is death to scare them? If people live in extreme hardship and despair, even severe laws lose their power to restrain society. Without economic recovery, he warned, violent acts of social revenge will only escalate. Gansu's Largest County Records Fewer Than Five Newborns Per Month Gansu Province's Subei County, the largest county-by-area in the province, is facing a significant demographic challenge. Since the beginning of this year, the county has recorded an average of fewer than five newborns per month. With declining fertility rates and a sparse population, the local government recently introduced policies to encourage births, including cash subsidies. The news has sparked widespread public attention. According to government data, Subei County had a registered population of only 12,657 at the end of 2023, with negative population growth reported for the first time last year. A Red Star News report on Nov. 19 revealed that the county's permanent population is about 15,000. The county's recently announced incentive and subsidy measures aim to address its low population and declining fertility rate. Currently, fewer than five newborns are being recorded monthly on average. Speaking to Radio Free Asia on Nov. 19, Gansu scholar Mr. Yu explained that Subei is in a He noted, Subei is a pastoral region with the Uyghur ethnic group, a typical border minority area. Birth rate data in regions like Central, Eastern, Northern, and Southern China reflect broader trends. In response to the population decline and aging demographics, the Subei government recently introduced the measures to optimize birth policy and promote population growth. Under these policies, families with Subei residency that have a second or third child can receive monthly subsidies of up to 1,700 yuan and 3,300 yuan, respectively, for three years. One U.S. dollar is equivalent to about 7.25 Chinese yuan. The cumulative total can reach 100,000 yuan. Families are also eligible for medical cost coverage, extended maternity leave, and other support. Families moving to Subei and having their first child there can receive an additional 10,000 yuan to encourage population inflow. However, Mr. Yu expressed doubts about the credibility of such promises, saying, The era of high birth rates is over. After the cultural revolution, birth numbers stabilized for only a short period before the one-child policy was implemented. Back then, they promised it wouldn't change for 100 years. Now they're offering subsidies, but can you believe it? At the time, they told us the state would take care of our retirement, but look at what's happening now. As of now, Subei County's policies are still in the promotional phase, and no formal applications have been reported. In recent years, various local governments in China have introduced measures to encourage childbirth, such as cash subsidies, extended maternity leave, and child care allowances. However, many of these initiatives have been criticized for being more symbolic than substantive. Ms. Lu, a resident of Shandong Province, noted a decline in local births this year. She said, When people are struggling to survive themselves, how can they think about raising children? Young people in cities don't live like older generations who relied on farming. Farming no longer sustains their lives. Lu further pointed out that the financial burden of implementing such policies is significant, and local governments may struggle to meet them. Also, a lack of transparency in oversight and policy implementation has led to delays in promised benefits. These empty promises only weaken public trust and discourage young people from having children, she said, adding, The government's operations are already facing issues, and these subsidies are just gimmicks to promote births. Ordinary people won't take them seriously. Subei County's declining birth rate reflects broader national trends. In early 2023, China's National Bureau of Statistics reported a population decline of 2.08 million compared to the previous year, marking the second consecutive year of population shrinkage. In 2022, China recorded a population decrease of 850,000. It was the first population decline in 61 years, which further accelerated in 2023.