A tale of two urban Chinas

Efforts needed to preserve the environment, develop the economy and provide a better safety network in rural areas

A US colleague of mine once told me of a TV program he had seen, which showed the loss of the Chinese countryside to urban development. "I don't get it," he said shaking his head, "it was so beautiful out there. Why would they try to destroy it to build towns?"

However, such sentiments ring hollow to most Chinese, as the word "countryside" (nongcun) is so negatively value laden that few people see anything positive in it. It is difficult to get city folks to appreciate what is good about the countryside.