Poverty in China: Going, Going, Gone?

Vanishing Chinese Poverty

China is well on its way to eliminating poverty, according to a new report from the World Bank.

While poverty has risen in the developed world it has been steadily declining in the Middle Kingdom.

By 1985 China had eliminated extreme poverty and had the most equitable income distribution on earth. But the country was forced into its current phase of economic development and opening up because otherwise, "China will be bullied", Deng Xiaoping explained apologetically.

He warned that some would get rich before others but his successors have ensured that almost everyone got richer – which has made inequality tolerable. Extreme poverty will be completely eliminated under the new president, who lived in extreme poverty himself for 7 years. And legislation is already under consideration that will further improve China's GINI coefficient, which has already begun to improve under the previous administration.