Mr. Xi, already under scrutiny for the Chinese government’s slow and erratic response to the coronavirus outbreak, now faces pressure to quell anger among low-income families and dispel broader fears of an economic downturn. The party has long staked its legitimacy on the idea that it can deliver prosperity and protect the working class. “Their ideological underpinnings — Marxism-Leninism, socialism — lie in being a party of the ‘workers and peasants.’”Ms. Duckett said the party was probably wary of discontent among workers. Mr. Xi has said that the government should watch employment closely and that companies should avoid large-scale layoffs. While wages are low, migrants can still earn more in the cities than they would in the countryside, where jobs are scarce.

Source: New York Times February 23, 2020 20:03 UTC