Is China’s record harvest real or just state propaganda? Explore the truth behind rural agriculture, food security, and government control in this week’s issue.
This is excellent reporting, thank you! It always amazes me how close so-called 'capitalism' and 'communism' are to each other when centralised control whether through the party or government and business regulation remain stubbornly at the helm.
Also, I realise reading your analysis how marketing (including propaganda) has become the centrepiece of both economic systems in their most representative territories (US & China).
All the way, and as you well point out, the plight of the farmer, the rural family, remains the same or perhaps worse (with notable exceptions), not only do they remain totally dependent on the weather (for the most part unavoidable), but now depend equally and fatefully on government. Are 2 dependencies better than one?
I couldn’t agree more, and that’s exactly why I focus on reporting rural China—it’s a niche, but an essential one. State media and the government constantly obscure what’s really happening, and there are almost no English-language sources pushing back against their narrative. Meanwhile, Western media often swallows the marketing and propaganda you mention without question, failing to investigate beyond surface-level reporting.
As you rightly put it, through all this theatre, rural people simply carry on, largely ignored, except when their struggles can be packaged into a convenient narrative. Their realities—of land, weather, and now government dependence—remain unchanged, or in many cases, worse.
“Rural China doesn’t need land reform, higher wages, or major policy shifts—just a good internet connection and a smartphone.”
Why, why, WHY is the solution always to further centralize services onto these devices? I was just complaining the other day that having one’s entire life tied up into a phone strips life of a bit of color. Convenience is the name of the game, more so in China than anywhere else, but is it even all that good? It’s taking over as the only viable means of living. Of course, it does come with its benefits, like the 一网通办 you brought up. But it means you NEED a phone, and thus extend the surveillance state, increasing likelihood of douyin addiction and scams.
If China really can up their farming game, the world would be better off, but only if there are good channels for trade. Otherwise, most of it is blowing smoke.
Maybe it is just me, but I would welcome a China that develops the middle ground between urban and rural living. The internet is here, the high speed trains are here, we could have a reversal of population flow, now from city to rural into a Chinese version of a suburb. These cities can't get much more dense, and people may not prefer to live in high rises or be required to work in crowded offices.
I appreciate these dispatches, more knowledge about China and discussion is always good. The celebrity farmers get headlines, but China has always been resource poor relative to places better suited to productivity. That should always matter more, whatever innovation can be applied here can be applied to greater effect somewhere else.
This is excellent reporting, thank you! It always amazes me how close so-called 'capitalism' and 'communism' are to each other when centralised control whether through the party or government and business regulation remain stubbornly at the helm.
Also, I realise reading your analysis how marketing (including propaganda) has become the centrepiece of both economic systems in their most representative territories (US & China).
All the way, and as you well point out, the plight of the farmer, the rural family, remains the same or perhaps worse (with notable exceptions), not only do they remain totally dependent on the weather (for the most part unavoidable), but now depend equally and fatefully on government. Are 2 dependencies better than one?
I couldn’t agree more, and that’s exactly why I focus on reporting rural China—it’s a niche, but an essential one. State media and the government constantly obscure what’s really happening, and there are almost no English-language sources pushing back against their narrative. Meanwhile, Western media often swallows the marketing and propaganda you mention without question, failing to investigate beyond surface-level reporting.
As you rightly put it, through all this theatre, rural people simply carry on, largely ignored, except when their struggles can be packaged into a convenient narrative. Their realities—of land, weather, and now government dependence—remain unchanged, or in many cases, worse.
I'm glad you enjoyed reading it!
“Rural China doesn’t need land reform, higher wages, or major policy shifts—just a good internet connection and a smartphone.”
Why, why, WHY is the solution always to further centralize services onto these devices? I was just complaining the other day that having one’s entire life tied up into a phone strips life of a bit of color. Convenience is the name of the game, more so in China than anywhere else, but is it even all that good? It’s taking over as the only viable means of living. Of course, it does come with its benefits, like the 一网通办 you brought up. But it means you NEED a phone, and thus extend the surveillance state, increasing likelihood of douyin addiction and scams.
If China really can up their farming game, the world would be better off, but only if there are good channels for trade. Otherwise, most of it is blowing smoke.
I couldn’t agree more. Both personally and for the farmers mentioned above!
Maybe it is just me, but I would welcome a China that develops the middle ground between urban and rural living. The internet is here, the high speed trains are here, we could have a reversal of population flow, now from city to rural into a Chinese version of a suburb. These cities can't get much more dense, and people may not prefer to live in high rises or be required to work in crowded offices.
I appreciate these dispatches, more knowledge about China and discussion is always good. The celebrity farmers get headlines, but China has always been resource poor relative to places better suited to productivity. That should always matter more, whatever innovation can be applied here can be applied to greater effect somewhere else.