The Social Costs of Export-Oriented Economies THE OTHER SIDE OF THE CHINESE ECONOMIC

Despite the financial crisis still sinking the world economy, China’s GDP growth rate in 2010 reached 10 percent, continuing the great momentum maintained since the 1980s. This is often referred to as the Chinese economic miracle. While many marvel at and try to mystify the miracle, the other side of the miracle is less than miraculous. Compared with the period of its planned economy between the 1950s and 1970s, in the ensuing three decades, China has undergone slower progress in major health indicators, and this has been accompanied by an ailing health care system. This report presents a portrait of China’s underdevelopment of health and its health care system, with up-to-date statistics. Such information is important for a fuller, more balanced, and more accurate view of the Chinese economic miracle. Starting in the 1980s, China’s growth in per capita GDP (gross domestic product) topped the world by a great margin (Table 1). This is often referred to as the Chinese economic miracle (1–3). In 2010, when the global economy was still struggling to survive the economic crisis, China’s GDP, once again, hit a double-digit growth rate, making the “miracle ” even more miraculous. While many marvel at and attempt to interpret China’s economic miracle, the other side of the miracle is less than miraculous. Contrary to what one would predict, the health and quality of life of Chinese citizens have not made equal progress. Despite its long-term, fast GDP growth, some of China’s health indi-cators have made only limited progress over the past 30 years; indeed, several indicators have deteriorated. Moreover, the performance of China’s health care system has been equally unsatisfactory. Such information needs to be made known before assessing the Chinese economic miracle. The present report serves this purpose by presenting up-to-date statistical information, with some analysis