CHINA / National |
Public focuses on education, health(Xinhua)Updated: 2007-03-05 08:44
There is a mismatch between what is being taught in many of the country's educational institutions and newly created job opportunities. Workplace Safety While work safety is improving, the situation remains grim and compares badly with other countries. China's coal mines are the world's deadliest, 70 times more dangerous than American coal mines and seven times more dangerous than coal mines in India or Russia. Income Gap The income gap is widening. The richest 10 percent of the population now own more than 40 percent of all private assets, while the poorest 10 percent have less than two percent. Land Exploitation Nearly 200,000 hectares of rural land are taken from farmers every year for industrial purposes. In some regions, farmland has been given away free to attract foreign investment. Land use is the subject Chinese farmers most often complain about when they petition government officials. Environment Environmental degradation continues to exact a heavy toll. According to the State Environmental Protection Administration, 70 percent of China's rivers and lakes are polluted and more than 300 million people have no access to clean water.
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