Episode 13: The Dangers From Invisible China
This week, Sam and Stewart are joined by one of the foremost developmental economists on China, Scott Rozelle from Stanford University. He is also the author of the brilliant book Invisible China. When the world thinks of China, it thinks of the flashy, prosperous cities of the East and South coasts - Shanghai, Beijing, Shenzhen. But the majority of Chinese live a very different life, stuck in poor rural areas with limited access to education, healthcare, and jobs. Is this group, numbering 1/9 of the world’s population, a drag on the country that will disrupt the country’s development? Or is it an eminently solvable problem?