Story from: http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/08/29/us-china-landgrab-idUSBRE97S0DF20130829 I found that story at Quartz, in this article: http://qz.com/120883/chinese-local-...yre-beating-kidnapping-and-killing-to-get-it/ In China, you are either classified urban or rural. If you are classified urban, you are entitled to social security, health care subsidies, food rations and all the best government services. If you are classified rural, as Barry Naughton said in The Chinese Economy, you have a license to starve (referring to the GLF). This classification system (called hukou) is still in effect despite the paste 30 years of reforms. This officially mandated caste system lead to the death of this 4 year-old girl. Rural lands are treated as investment opportunities for urban Chinese, looking to invest their savings in real-estate. This is also true of urban land, and if someone happens to be living on the property, too bad for them (much like the girl in the story above). This is helping to prop-up the Chinese economy, which is helping to prop-up the mistaken belief held by many Americans that the Chinese economy is so powerful that it will be the world's largest economy in 15-20 years. It is likely that this is another sign of Chinese governments' complete disregard (incompetence) for (toward) its people and its environment.
Not that I don't think this is wrong but how does this have anything to do with a mistaken belief in the power of China's economy? China has never valued individual rights but it hasn't had an effect on their economy. In many ways it strengthens their economy because they don't mind killing people for "greater" economic efficiency.
I think this happened in Israel too with some Western female protester. How did the 4 year old get near the bulldozer?
Actually, their refusal of valuing individual/property rights may be a stumbling stone. China's economy isn't as strong as many Westerners perceive it. It's similar to how this country was obsessed with Japan in the 70s and 80s. China's GDP is loaded with dozens of ghost towns: massive infrastructure projects which get built in the middle of nowhere. That construction boom is included in the books. If China's economy is impacted by this building craze collapsing, it will hurt us tremendously. That being said, many agree and disagree with what I just typed. They say the cities are empty right now, but they'll get filled in the next decade(s). Here's an opposing Forbes article.
