China’s Slowdown Is Fraying Nerves
A social media uproar over an obscure government decree shows how anxious the country’s most skilled workers are.
Who would want to leave?
Photographer: Qilai Shen/Bloomberg
Chinese leaders argue their citizens can outlast Americans in a trade war because they can endure hardship better. But, as China's economic slowdown deepens, there's a growing sense of restlessness. Not only does the next rung of the ladder look increasingly out of reach for many Chinese, they’re starting to question whether government decrees can fix the situation.
One small sign of that discontent flared up last week. The government, determined to boost China's scientific standing, released what appeared to be a boilerplate call to improve the ethics and conduct of the Chinese scientific community. Sharp-eyed reporters soon noticed that it also contained something more controversial: a clause prohibiting affluent developed regions from using big compensation packages and bidding wars to recruit talent, especially from China's Rust Belt.