Elena Likhach and her husband Oleg claim that China is not a third world country
Stylish colleagues work on phone and laptop computer, charging them from portable solar panel, while sitting with electric scooter on a street at office district. Concept of sustainable lifestyle
Some people in Russian and foreign society mistakenly believe that China is a third world country. We radically disagree with this stereotype, citing weighty arguments. This is far from a country of cheap down jackets with feathers sticking out of the seams. Many, not knowing Chinese features of life, current production, lagged behind and remember the country only as a manufacturer of cheap goods from the 90s. This is how they think in the territory of the former CIS and in the West.
China – realities of life
In reality, China is an incredibly wealthy state that invests money wisely. The Chinese will not invest in a dummy without checking what dividends the business will bring. The Chinese are working tirelessly. But people are no longer ready to work even for a small bowl of rice, to sew down jackets, to produce equipment. They need a decent salary, and employers are aware of this.
For my husband and I, the city of Shenzhen has become a cozy corner of the world. The metropolis has long been included in the list of one of the high-tech cities with a developed infrastructure and a wealth of cultural life. City life in it has erased the old stamps, becoming comfortable and satisfying the requirements of a person. The urban picture is based on the futuristic design of streets with an abundance of glass and concrete. At the foot of giant skyscrapers, electric taxis scurry about, electric buses ply with a smooth movement, incomparable to a bus.
The government banned petrol scooters out of concern for the positive resolution of environmental issues. Almost all life, the functioning of its active technical rhythms, is tied to electricity. In this city, there is no resident without a smartphone, and most of the gadgets, even apple ones, are made in the city. The metropolis has not yet crossed the line of 45 years of age. However, it is modern, meets the high demands of society. Due to the high level of comfort, Chinese from other regions flock here, turning Shenzhen into a million-plus city with 17.5 million inhabitants.
China is heterogeneous, not all cities can boast of the highest standard of living. Although in Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, the picture is about the same. It is clear that poverty has not gone anywhere. Rural areas are inhabited by people striving for prosperity. Unbearable working conditions also remain in a number of areas. Only in the world there are many such cities and villages. The West and the USA also cannot boast of a too high level of development in small areas, towns.
During their stay in China, and this is a full three years, the spouses got the impression that the country is a kind of consonance between the Russian and American directions of development. Elena comes from the Khabarovsk Territory and went to the Middle Kingdom, having a stereotype: China is a country of markets. But she was always fascinated by the deep respect of the Chinese for ancient traditions, reverence for ancestors and parents.
At first, we were mistaken in thinking of China as a nation just beginning to raise its head in economic development. Immersion in this country completely showed the opposite: the country is highly developed, ahead of its Western neighbors in many ways.
