China’s middle income claim causes uproar as Weibo users ask ‘why am I not that rich?’
- Propaganda piece from the National Bureau of Statistics stirs up online controversy after claim China’s nominal gross national income per capita for 2018 was US$9,732
- Agency forced to respond after topic attracts over 200 million followers, with Beijing facing a delicate task of portraying itself for China’s 70th anniversary
A claim that China’s per capita gross national income was “above the average level of other middle-income countries” has caused an uproar on China’s main social media network, forcing the National Bureau of Statistics to defend its statement.
Many users questioned why their incomes are far below the per capita nominal gross national income (GNI) of US$9,732 for 2018, which the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) claimed in a statement released on Monday as part of a publication highlighting China’s economic achievements under Communist Party rule over the last 70 years.
The statement marked a subtle difference in tone from Beijing’s long-standing stance that the country is still a “developing” nation, triggering a heated debate about whether the GNI figure had overestimated China’s real economic status.
The topic of “China’s GNI at US$9,732 in 2018” had attracted over 200 million followers on Weibo as of Wednesday morning, with many commentators questioning “why am I not that rich?” or “why is my income way below that figure?”
And the sheer volume of comments forced the NBS to publish an explanation on Tuesday night to address the issue, as it noted that GNI per capita is always higher than disposal income per capita, stressing that China remains “the world’s largest developing country”.
The incident highlighted the sensitivity of Chinese consumers to income issues, and came as Beijing is trying to reconcile two self-imposed, sometimes conflicting, identifies. On the one hand, Beijing is telling its people that China is richer and stronger under Communist rule, but it is also saying it remains a poor and developing country that merits special treatment in trade deals and requires people to work hard to help the country progress.
A Chinese official, who declined to be named, told the South China Morning Post that Beijing is facing a delicate task of portraying a powerful country for the 70th anniversary of the People’s Republic of China this year without overplaying the image or inviting scrutiny from other countries.
“We need to highlight the achievements in the last 70 years to rally national pride, but we can’t overplay the tune to cause situations such as Amazing China,” the official said, referring to the Chinese documentary film aired in early 2018.