According to the “China’s Syphilis Prevention and Control Plan (2010-2020)” published by the Ministry of Health on June 21, 2010, syphilis has become the third most infectious disease in China. According to China’s statistics, the number of syphilis infection cases increased to 330,000 in 2009 from 80,000 in 1999. In 2009, among every 100,000 new born babies, there were 64 with congenital syphilis, versus 0.5 in 1997. Syphilis is transmitted via sexual activities.

Source: Xinhua, June 21, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2010-06/21/c_12244534.htm

The police department of Wuhan City, the largest city in central China, has recently required a second generation national ID for anyone who wants to use the Internet bars in the city to get onto the Internet. This is a new movement by the Internet Monitoring and Administration Division of the police department, after waves of complete pre-checks, heavy penalties and a netizen report reward programs. This new wave is to ban all anonymous Internet access at the Internet bars. The police spent four days to visit all Internet bars in the city to enforce the regulation. The penalty for bars that refuse to cooperate is an order to be shut down.

Source: People’s Daily, June 16, 2010
http://politics.people.com.cn/GB/11887095.html

A Foxconn spokesman confirmed that all lower-level laborers’ wages have been raised 30% starting from June 1, according to China Review News on June 7, 2010. It is understood that Foxconn’s pay raise decision is related to the recent employee suicides. The pay raise means that the labor costs will increase 2.281 billion yuan (334.130 million U.S. dollars) each year. For an OEM business model company whose profits are very limited, this cost increase is substantial. Upon publication of the news, Foxconn’s share price immediately plunged on the Hong Kong stock market.

“Labor-intensive enterprises have smaller profit margins. In order to grab the largest profits, the employers purposely lower employees’ wages, which has seriously hindered the harmonious development of society. More and more incidents demonstrate that the “China Model,” which sacrifices the well-being of ordinary people for economic development, has come to an end.”

Source: China Review News, June 07, 2010
http://gb.chinareviewnews.com/doc/1013/4/5/6/101345679.html?coluid=53&kindid=0&docid=101345679&mdate=0607074411

On May 12, 2010, the website http://finance.sina.com/ published an article by Feng Haining that contrasted the low wages of Chinese laborers with China’s high GDP. In Feng’s opinion, no matter how high the GDP is, the real worth of the GDP is not high if it is not reflected in the the people’s living standard.

The International Labor Organization (ILO) pointed out that in 2007, China’s per capita output increased 63.4% between 2000 and 2005, but high labor productivity is not reflected in wage growth. Ordinary workers have no voice in the distribution of revenue. What makes the public especially unhappy is that public policy always favors those with capital. From 1978 to 2005, capital return increased by 20 percent of the total GDP, while labor remuneration declined substantially.

Source: finance.sina.com, May 12, 2010
http://finance.sina.com/bg/chinamkt/sinacn/20100512/122953787.html

Xinhua reprinted an article from www.qlwb.com.cn on June 4, 2010 on the emigration of China’s new rich class and intellectual elites to the United States, Canada, Australia, Hong Kong, Singapore and some small countries in Central America. 

“In 2009, a total of 25,000 Chinese emigrated to Canada and 65,000 Chinese emigrated to the U.S.; in 2008, about 16,000 Chinese emigrated to Australia.”

“What attract the Chinese immigrants to go abroad are the quality education, clean environment, safe food, standardized laws and the symbol of a status.”

Source: Xinhua, June 04, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2010-06/04/c_12182275.htm