Protests broke out last week in the city of Wuhan over drastic cuts to healthcare subsidies. Driven mostly by retirees, the unusual protest against the municipal government in Wuhan resulted in nearly ten thousand Chinese citizens besieging to the city government, vowing to return in ten days in much larger numbers, and eventually receiving capitulation from local officials.
In light of this, Miles Yu and Wilson Shirley reflect on the glaring issues within the People’s Republic of China’s healthcare system writ large and, in particular, how decades of the One-Child Policy and the bleak outlook for today’s Chinese youth place enormous stress on the system’s capacity to care for the elderly. They discuss how the Wuhan government’s decision to cut costs points to larger economic issues for the PRC, as local governments that were previously bearing the brunt of Zero-COVID are now running troubling deficits, and it is unclear whether the central government plans to bail them out. They then turn to discuss the “Hong Kong 47,” who are standing trial under accusations of subversion under the National Security Law, and reflect on the history of Hong Kong and its place in relation to the PRC and the world. Finally, Miles and Wilson reflect on the inspiring show of bipartisanship from the House of Representatives in response to the Chinese Communist Party’s recent violation of US sovereignty.
On multiple fronts—from ideology to the economy, to the military, to technology—the Chinese Communist Party presents the United States and its allies and partners with their most serious threat since the Cold War—maybe since World War II. What does the emerging consensus about the China challenge get right, and what is it missing? And what will it take to compete to win?
China Insider is a weekly podcast project from 91 Institute's China Center, hosted by Miles Yu and Wilson Shirley, who provide weekly news that mainstream American outlets often miss, as well as in-depth commentary and analysis on the China challenge and the free world’s future.