30 million bachelors in China? OMG

Today, China is where companies go when they want to produce their products cheap and efficient. Chinese workers with great work ethics have been producing our books and clothes for a while now. But is this about to change? Workers are starting to protest against long hours and low pay. Death from over work kills an estimated 600,000 people in China each year. Most of them factory worker. People are getting mad.

Upon this, China´s one-child policy that was introduced in September 1980, is affecting the future workforce and culture. The preference for sons over daughters means that an average of 120 Chinese boys is now born for every 100 girls. In rural areas there are now 135 boys for every 100 girls.

The result? By 2020, there could be 20-30 million bachelors in China unable to find a mate! This has already lead to prostitution and human trafficking is rising dramatically, with women smuggled from Burma, North Korea and the poorer parts of China to be sold as wives and domestic help.

There will soon be less people working than in need of care, and an ageing workforce, who is no longer willing to work like dogs for next to nothing.

Who is the winner? I guess nobody. This is a typical example of political paternalism going horribly wrong. When people with power try to go against nature and force things out of place, things will change beyond what was intended. Just look at Israel, created from above, now a disabled body in pain...

Who is the loser? 1. Chinese men, unable to find love. 2. Chinese women (and Burmese...) being used like dolls, bought like slaves. 3. Western Companies who will need to find a new sweatshop. 4. Us consumers, having to pay more. 5. The Chinese economy, in need of a new type of structure and income source.

China is a world power based on population and growth, and we will be affected. Exactly how is yet to be defined; I will keep my eyes open for you J.

Thanks to The Week for some of the facts!