The gap between the rich and the poor in China "poorly falling and prosperous" is approaching social tolerance "red line"

In recent years, the income gap between regions, urban and rural areas, industries, and groups in China has increased. The unbalanced distribution pattern has caused some social wealth to be concentrated in a few people. The income gap has surpassed the warning “red line” marked by the Gini coefficient. Many problems are increasingly becoming the focus of attention in all walks of life.

Experts believe that at present, China’s income distribution has reached a “crossroads” that needs to be adjusted. It is very urgent to narrow the gap between the rich and the poor and to solve the unfair distribution problem. It must be the same as the “red line” of 1.8 billion mu of cultivated land. ".

Disparity in distribution presents "decrease in wealth and prosperity"

From the Gini coefficient, the gap between the rich and the poor in China is approaching the "red line" of social tolerance. Professor Chang Xiuze, a professor at the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, introduced that the current understanding of the Gini Coefficient of China's institutions is not the same. The World Bank's estimate of 0. 47 has been widely recognized by the academic community. "The Gini coefficient in China has risen year by year after crossing the internationally recognized warning line of 0.4 a decade ago. The gap between rich and poor has broken through a reasonable limit."

Su Hainan, director of the Labor Wages Research Institute of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, and chairman of the Salary Compensation Committee of the China Labor Association, believes that the current income gap in China is showing a wide-ranging and multi-level expansion trend. At present, the income ratio of urban and rural residents in China has reached 3.3 times, and the highest in the world is about 2 times. The wage gap between employees in the industry is also very obvious, the difference between the highest and the lowest is about 15 times; the income gap between different groups is also rapidly increasing. The income gap between listed state-owned company executives and front-line workers is about 18 times. The difference between state-owned enterprise executives and the average social wage is 128 times.

Li Shi, director of the Center for Income Distribution and Poverty Research at Beijing Normal University, has participated in four large-scale residents' income surveys since the 1980s. He said that the income gap between the people with the highest income of 10% and the population with the lowest income of 10% has risen from 7.3 times in 1988 to 23 times in 2007.

“More work and less earning” is the common feeling of many working-class people in the interview. Tang Xuan, secretary general of the Social Policy Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, said: "According to statistical data, the income of the poor and the rich has increased in recent years. However, given the differences in their expenditure on consumption, the expenditures of a large number of poor families are concentrated. In the most easily-rising prices of food and other necessities, the distribution gap is showing a dangerous trend of 'poorer's and richer'.

Real estate, minerals, and securities have become huge profits

Relevant experts believe that in recent years, with the rapid development of China's economy, land, resources, and capital -- these three kinds of production factors have played a huge role in wealth adjustment. Real estate, minerals, and securities have become the "most profitable" profit-making industries. A small number of people use this night to stand at the top of social wealth.

According to the 2009 Forbes China Wealth Rankings, among the top 400 richest people, real estate companies accounted for 154; among the top 40 wealthiest, real estate companies accounted for 19; in the top 10 super rich, real estate companies accounted for 5. The real estate industry has become the main focus of China’s wealth.

Tang Hao, a researcher at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, believes that the basic element of the real estate industry is land, and selling a house is actually selling land. As regards land, according to the current land use management policy, the government and real estate business are both “monopoly buyers” and “monopoly sellers”. On the one hand, land is expropriated by farmers at a low price, and on the other, it is sold to the people at a high price. The huge profits generated by the real estate industry have been taken away by a few real estate companies in addition to local government revenue. Tang Hao said that with the skyrocketing housing prices, "people without a house" have been thrown far beyond the gates of wealth formation.

Non-renewable mineral resources are also occupied by a small number of people, used and quickly become rich. In Zuoyun County, Shanxi, a coal-producing county in the country, the reporter learned that in recent years, hundreds of “coal bosses” have been born here, but the per capita net income of local farmers is only 4,359 yuan, which is lower than the national average of 400. Diversified.

"The unfair distribution of resource elements has exacerbated the unfair distribution of social wealth." Professor Chang Xiuze of the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission said that this has a lot to do with the absence of China's mineral property rights system, which is highlighted by the incomplete cost of resource prices. Low resource tax, low mining costs, and no responsibility for environmental restoration... This is the “secret tip” of “coal bosses” for getting rich, and it is also the “crux” for the failure of allocation measures, and the widening of the gap between the rich and the poor.

Many experts also believe that in recent years, the “hot” performance of the capital market, especially the prevalence of speculative investment behavior, has further strengthened the cumulative effect of capital wealth and widened the gap between capital gains, labor income, and industrial income. The situation of “rich and rich, moneyless and increasingly moneyless”. Moreover, the mutual increase of capital, land, and resources has exacerbated the gap between the rich and the poor.

There has always been a strange phenomenon that “But determines the waist pack”

Professor Wei Jie of Tsinghua University and vice president of the Shaanxi Provincial Academy of Social Sciences and others said that for a long time, there has been a strange phenomenon of "ass to determine the waist pack" in the income distribution field in China. The level of income is not smart and hard work. It is relying on "grabbing identity" and "grabbing the industry." If we can “grab” monopoly industries such as electricity, telecommunications, petroleum, finance, and tobacco, or “grab” the status of civil servants and public institutions, it is tantamount to “grabbing” high-income, high-welfare, and high-level industries.

In the interview, many people expressed extreme dissatisfaction with the “allocation of power” represented by monopoly and “identity”. They believe that the state must weaken the role of power in the distribution pattern and rationally adjust the income gap between various industries and groups in order to reduce the "burning point" of social conflicts and achieve harmony and stability.

According to the statistics of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, the current average wages of employees in industries such as electricity, telecommunications, finance, insurance, and tobacco are two to three times higher than those of employees in other industries. Actually, if differences in wage income and employee benefits are added, the actual The gap may be even greater. As of the end of 2008, the level of civil servants’ retirement pensions was 2.1 times that of enterprises, and the monthly pensions of institutions were 1.8 times that of enterprises.

Experts believe that this “power distribution” that relies on policy protection and monopoly of resources is contrary to the socialist principle of distribution according to labor, which seriously infringes on individual development rights and distorts the distribution of income. While causing disparities in income between different industries and different groups, it also marks a deep gap in people's hearts.

In recent years, university graduates have scrambled to “eat imperial grain”, and there have even been more than a thousand people competing for a civil service position. At the same time, high wages in monopoly industries have also been repeatedly questioned. Experts believe that the state should reduce the negative impact of “power-determined income” and calm social imbalances through multiple channels.

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Diverse income distribution

White, black and grey blood, "fighting glare"

"Gray income" and "black income" have caused the existence of a large number of "hidden incomes" of the nation, making the social wealth base unclear. Wang Xiaolu, deputy director of the Institute of National Economic Research of the China Reform Foundation, published a study in 2007 and calculated that there were at least 4 trillion yuan in non-standard "hidden income" each year. Some experts believe that at present, the share of wage income in China's total income is only 1/3, and the state can monitor only "white income", which means that a large amount of income is out of the scope of income tax adjustment and is outside supervision.

Due to the complexity of income distribution channels and the lack of a basic national income record system, the income channels of residents in our country are also varied. Recently, the reporter interviewed a large number of experts and scholars and grassroots cadres and masses in 15 provinces, autonomous regions and municipalities across the country. We all agree that the five kinds of “color income” can be used to sum up the current various incomes.

The five “color incomes” are both relatively independent and cross-cutting. Specifically, "white income" refers to normal wages and benefits and corporate income, and "black income" refers to illegal income obtained through illegal means such as embezzlement, bribery, robbery, and fraudulent drug trafficking; "gray income" means between legal and The illegal income is very common in China at present; “scarcity income” refers to those who break through the bottom line of human civilization to sacrifice the lives of others and extract their income from blood, such as black brick kilns and black coal kilns; “golden income” refers to the use of Gold, stocks, futures, and other capital gains.

Experts believe that the five “color incomes” are based on the legitimacy of income, and also refer to social moral standards. They basically summarize the main channels and methods of current Chinese income distribution, and are easily accepted and visualized. Describe the expression of current income.

White income

Refers to the well-documented income in the current income distribution field. It is innocent, visible, controllable and predictable. Su Hainan, director of the Labor and Wages Research Institute of the Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security, said that "white income" is the main channel of China's income distribution system. Therefore, we must constantly increase the proportion of labor remuneration in the distribution of national income in primary distribution and establish a normal increase in wages. Mechanisms and payment protection mechanisms, improve the social security system to increase transfer income such as pensions, let "white" become the main tone of income, highlight fairness and justice, and promote social stability and harmony.

Black income

It includes both the illegal income obtained by some people relying on power and the income derived from illegal activities such as smuggling, drug trafficking, theft, robbery, and kidnapping. According to experts from the Social Policy Research Center of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, Tang Hao and other experts believe that “black income” has caused a large amount of public wealth to flow into the pockets of power owners and law-breakers, and should be resolutely cracked down.

Scarlet income

Refer to those who break through the bottom line of human civilization to sacrifice the lives of others and extract their income from blood. The “salty income” should also be severely cracked down. For instance, the black brick kiln incident in Shanxi, the slave labor incident in Hulan District, Harbin, etc., these actions trample on the bottom line of human nature and civilization, affect the national image, and must be resolutely banned.

Golden income

It is an income that has become increasingly important with economic development in recent years. With capital income as the main form of expression, it can also be understood as property income. In recent years, many people have obtained asset appreciation from the stock market and property market, and wealth has multiplied. Some experts believe that "golden income" is worth encouraging, but it is also necessary to pay attention to good regulation and guidance so that it can take a rational track and reduce speculation. At the same time, attention should be paid to adjusting "golden income" through taxation and other supporting policies to prevent the "Matthew Effect" from aggravating the gap between the rich and the poor.

Gray income

The concept of the most difficult qualitative. At present, the definition of “gray income” in the academic world is not uniform, and some experts define it as unclear, undocumented, tax-free, and personal secret income that is not reported. Some scholars also believe that the income is "black or white", no matter how high-sounding, its essence is the "black income" arising from the transaction of public rights and private interests.

At present, "gray income" has penetrated into all walks of life in society, including rebates, benefits, thanks, labor, lecture fees, gifts, and gifts. Professor Chang Xiuze, professor of the Macroeconomic Research Institute of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that there are three main types of “gray income”: one is “positive gray”, that is, illegal income that violates regulations is not illegal; the other is income that is called “gray” and is actually “black”. For example, commercial rebates, annual gifts, private treasury gifts, celebration gifts, etc., are disguised bribery; the third is “light gray” income, this part should have been attributed to “white income”, but there is no explicit provision in the system. Although the channels are legitimate, there is a lack of tax supervision.

Some high-income residents have a lot of "hidden income"

Wang Xiaolu, deputy director of the National Economic Research Institute of the China Economic Reform Research Foundation, has long studied the issue of “gray income”. He did a few years ago with the household income and expenditure of more than 2,000 people of different income classes in dozens of cities and counties across the country. The survey found that some high-income residents have a lot of “hidden income”. Surveys have shown that the estimated income of urban residents that has not been measured is as high as 4.8 trillion yuan. The omissions mainly occur in high-income households, which account for 10% of urban households, and account for 3/4 of all missing income.

Some experts believe that another important reason for the current increase in the income distribution gap is due to the corruption caused by the imperfect system, including a large amount of “gray income” and illegal income.

Surveys have shown that the estimated income of urban residents that has not been measured is as high as 4.8 trillion yuan. The omissions mainly occur in high-income households, which account for 10% of urban households, and account for 3/4 of all missing income. At the same time, the frequent corruption cases also exposed the huge occupation of public wealth by individual cadres. According to statistics from the Supreme People's Procuratorate, in 2009 alone, there were 18,191 cases of corruption and bribery that were registered for investigation across the country: 2670 people working at county level or above were investigated for suspected crimes, including 204 at the bureau level and 8 at the provincial level. Chen Tonghai, former chairman of Sinopec, received nearly 200 million yuan in bribes, setting a record of 160 million yuan in the single largest bribery since the founding of New China.

Experts believe that the impact of corruption on income distribution has three main aspects:

First, disrupting the distribution order, the initial allocation of market regulation failures, and the formation of “reverse allocations” in the redistribution sector, which has caused funds that should be used for low-income groups to be transferred to the hands of power stakeholders through unfair channels, which has exacerbated unfair distribution; This leads to the inability of personal income to be verified and the basic premise of institutional design. Third, corrupt elements in vested interest groups have the ability and will surely become the biggest “stumbling block” in income distribution reform.

A number of interviewees reported that while corruption does not directly fall within the category of income distribution, it infiltrates and influences the distribution pattern. Xi Bin, the general manager of an animation company in Xi’an, said that now whether it is real estate, coal mining, or wanting to enter monopolies or civil servants, it is often necessary to rely on “relationships” and “tickets” to get access to high-income groups. As long as such “hidden rules” of corruption exist, income distribution cannot be “sunny”.

Distribution faces "crossroads"

"Although the community is now more tolerant of the gap between the rich and the poor than it used to be, the consequences of aggravating the disparity between the rich and the poor and the inequitable distribution may be disastrous." Yang Yiyong, director of the Institute of Social Development of the National Development and Reform Commission, said that China's per capita GDP last year Nearly 3,700 U.S. dollars, the transition of economic development and the reshaping of social structure have entered a critical stage. The practice of Latin American countries proves that this stage must prevent the stagnation of economic growth, the widening gap between the rich and the poor and social unrest.

Su Hainan believes that the incompleteness of the income distribution system is the direct cause of outstanding income distribution problems. In a distribution, there is no clear and reasonable relationship between the distribution ratio of the state, the enterprise, and the residents. The labor remuneration is relatively low. There is no normal growth mechanism for the establishment of labor remuneration; in the second distribution, the fiscal system at all levels is not defined in the form of an institution. The ratio of social security and transfer payments is difficult to guarantee the fairness and rationality of secondary distribution; the three distributions are small in scale, charitable donation needs to be improved, and regulatory function is limited.

The irrationality of one distribution made the trend of “strong capital and weak labor” continue to strengthen. At present, the initial allocation is too "pro-capital", and the proportion of workers' compensation is generally low. The increase in wages of workers cannot catch up with the increase in corporate profits. Su Hainan said that in developed countries, wages generally account for about 50% of the company's operating costs, while in China it is less than 10%.

In the secondary distribution, because the existing social security system is not perfect, the secondary allocation field even appears to be "reverse adjustment". According to the All-China Federation of Trade Unions, the rate of participation in pensions and medical insurance among urban employees is only 62% and 60%; the level of participation of migrant workers is even lower.

Relevant experts believe that to maintain the "red line" of the gap between the rich and the poor, it is necessary to start the reform of the income distribution system as soon as possible, and to adhere to the principle of treating the symptoms and the root causes, comprehensive management, multi-pronged approach, and cooperation between all parties, and designing systems in combination with in-depth reasons and direct reasons. Reform program. (Xinhua News Research Team)