One move, many ripples View(s):Over the past 25 years, China’s GDP has surged from just above US$1 trillion to more than $18 trillion. The problemIn China, a large share of the population has long remained in rural areas, engaged in agriculture. The system was designed both to prevent overcrowding in urban areas and to secure food supplies for the world’s largest population. In many Western countries, 80–90 per cent of people live in urban areas, with only 10–20 per cent in rural communities. Although gradual, the share of population in rural areas and employment in agriculture has steadily declined.
