Chinese Migrant Worker’s Gang-Related Charges Dropped After More Than Two Years in Custody Over Wage Rights Posts

In March 2024, Jing Shuren, a migrant worker from Gansu Province and an online public-interest advocate, was arrested by police for reposting on Weibo content related to migrant workers’ wage claims and rights protection. After more than two years of extended detention, the case reached a major turning point in July 2026.

According to the latest amended indictment decision, prosecutors listed 27 alleged cases of extortion. The majority involved disputes over long-unpaid project payments or labor service fees owed by companies or government-related entities. The allegations involving Jing Shuren stated that he had “reposted false and negative posts at the arrangement of or voluntarily for Zhou Lubao,” but did not involve obtaining illegal proceeds.

On July 19, prosecutors amended the indictment and withdrew the accusation that the defendants had formed or participated in an “evil forces” criminal group. Jing Shuren’s alleged role was also changed from a principal offender in the alleged group crime to an accomplice in ordinary joint criminal conduct.

Jing Shuren, aged 49 (born in August 1976), has a junior middle school education and was a heavy social media user. His verified Sina Weibo account mainly consisted of reposts concerning rights protection efforts by disadvantaged groups and public complaints, with almost no personal content. In April 2024, Jing was arrested by the Chengguan District Branch of the Lanzhou Public Security Bureau on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble.” At the time of his arrest, he worked as a security guard at a company in Lanzhou, responsible for gatekeeping duties.

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Connection to the Zhou Lubao Case

Jing Shuren’s legal troubles stemmed from his alleged involvement in the case of Zhou Lubao.

Zhou Lubao, aged 41 (born in April 1985), is from Xucun Town, Haining City, Zhejiang Province, and his ancestral hometown is Yuntian Town, Longxi County, Dingxi City, Gansu Province. He and Jing Shuren are from the same hometown.

Zhou was previously active in online rights advocacy. In 2015, the Kunshan People’s Court in Jiangsu Province at first instance and the Suzhou Intermediate People’s Court on appeal sentenced Zhou to five years in prison and fined him RMB 30,000 for extortion. He was released from prison in June 2018.

However, six years later, on March 17, 2024, Zhou Lubao was again criminally detained by the Chengguan Public Security Bureau of Lanzhou on suspicion of “picking quarrels and provoking trouble,” and was formally arrested on April 3. Around the same period, Jing Shuren and six other defendants were also arrested.

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Prosecutors’ Allegations

According to the amended indictment issued by the Chengguan District Procuratorate of Lanzhou, after Zhou Lubao was released from prison in June 2018, he allegedly continued to pursue illegal interests by intervening in private economic disputes.

The prosecutors alleged that Zhou and several other defendants targeted unresolved disputes involving project payments and labor fees owed by well-known companies or individuals in Lanzhou, Tianshui, and other regions. They allegedly published false and negative posts on multiple online platforms under themes such as “maliciously withholding migrant workers’ hard-earned wages” and anti-corruption claims, using these posts to pressure relevant companies, government entities, and individuals.

The indictment stated that between January 2022 and January 2024, Zhou Lubao and other defendants repeatedly committed alleged offenses including provoking disturbances and extortion, seriously disrupting economic, social, and online order.

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Changes in the Charges

Legal documents show that on September 3, 2024, the Chengguan Branch of the Lanzhou Public Security Bureau transferred the case for prosecution review, accusing Zhou Lubao, Jing Shuren, and five other defendants of:

• Organizing, leading, or participating in a crime group of a “mafia-like nature”;
• Extortion;
• Picking quarrels and provoking trouble;
• Illegal business operations.

The original indictment by the Chengguan District Procuratorate later changed the accusation from a “mafia-like organization” to an “evil forces” group and removed the charge of illegal business operations.

The latest amended indictment completely withdrew the accusation that Zhou Lubao, Jing Shuren, and the other defendants constituted an “evil forces” criminal group.

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Jing Shuren’s Specific Allegations

The latest amended indictment listed 27 alleged extortion incidents, most of which involved companies or government departments allegedly owing long-overdue project payments or labor fees.

The allegations concerning Jing Shuren stated that he:

“Reposted false and negative posts under Zhou Lubao’s instructions or voluntarily.”

The posts involved were related to rights protection and wage recovery efforts.

Among the seven defendants in the case, Jing Shuren was the only person who was not accused of obtaining illegal financial benefits.

Jing’s relatives stated that Jing and Zhou Lubao were distant relatives. They had discussed in online groups helping companies or workers facing unpaid wages with rights protection efforts.

According to his relatives:

“Jing Shuren did help some people recover unpaid wages and forwarded their complaint materials to Zhou Lubao, but he never received money or benefits from companies or individuals.”

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Personal Background

Jing Shuren was born in 1976 into a poor rural family in Longxi County, Gansu Province. He was the only son among six siblings and took responsibility for supporting his parents at an early age.

After graduating from junior middle school at age 15, Jing was forced to leave school and work elsewhere because his family could not afford education expenses.

Despite his difficult background, Jing frequently involved himself in issues unrelated to his own interests.

In 2018, a university student from his hometown in Longxi County, who was also a distant relative, was deceived into joining a pyramid scheme organization in Cangzhou, Hebei Province. After learning about the situation, Jing traveled to Hebei at his own expense and eventually helped rescue the student together with police officers from the Cangzhou Railway Station Police Station.

On March 4, 2024, Jing posted on Weibo that he discovered a damaged water supply pipeline on Provincial Highway 209 in Longxi County while returning home. He immediately contacted the local water authority, which later sent him a message thanking him for reporting the issue.

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Before His Arrest

Before his arrest, Jing worked as a security guard at a company in Lanzhou New Area, earning a monthly salary of slightly more than RMB 2,000.

Because he frequently worked night shifts, many of his Weibo posts were published late at night.

On the night before his detention, March 15, 2024, Jing reposted dozens of Weibo posts, all related to public affairs and social governance.

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Public Attention

During the more than two years since Jing Shuren’s arrest, some internet users who had interacted with him online expressed concern about his case.

Professor Yu Jianrong of the Rural Economy Research Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences had interacted with Jing both online and offline.

After Jing was detained, Yu wrote on Weibo:

“Jing Shuren has finally gone in. I once advised him: You are a migrant worker making a living on construction sites, yet you monitor one issue yesterday and criticize another today. One day you will get into trouble. He replied: If everyone stays silent, what will happen to this society? I said: If you go in, what will happen to your elderly father and young children? After remaining silent for a long time, he said: I still want to do something for the rule of law in this country.”

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Caixin Media, the Chinese outlet that originally reported the case, has removed the article. Some observers speculate that the deletion may have resulted from pressure from prosecutors. Meanwhile, reposts of Caixin Media’s report have been removed from most Chinese websites, and the story is now only archived by a limited number of left-leaning and liberal websites. https://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2026/07/25/126720977.html https://m.szhgh.com/Article/gnzs/gongyi/2026-07-25/410257.html

Failure to Recover Unpaid Wages

Liu Quan and his father, along with other workers, worked at a construction site in Caofeidian District. The project foreman, Du Chunyu, failed to pay them more than RMB 56,000 in outstanding wages and advance payments.

Administrative Intervention and Case Closure

In October 2023, after mediation by Ding Guoqi, a staff member of the Caofeidian District Labor Inspection Brigade, Du Chunyu signed a document acknowledging that he owed RMB 47,200.

However, shortly afterward, the Labor Inspection Brigade closed the case based solely on “payment completed” documents unilaterally provided by Du Chunyu’s lawyer, without verification or notifying Liu Quan. The case closure was later alleged to have been an unlawful administrative action.

Reaching a Dead End in Seeking Legal Remedies

Over the following one and a half years, Liu Quan traveled back and forth 14 times, covering more than 2,800 kilometers in an effort to seek an explanation and recover the money owed.

He attempted every available legal channel, including:

• The 12345 government service hotline;
• Online complaints;
• Labor arbitration proceedings;
• Other formal complaint mechanisms.

However, none of these efforts produced results. His repeated requests for an explanation regarding the reason for the case closure were also refused.

The Family Fell Into Severe Difficulties

During the period of seeking legal remedies, Liu Quan’s family suffered a series of hardships.

In the summer of 2024, heavy rainfall caused his family’s old house in their hometown to collapse, but they lacked the financial resources to repair it.

In August 2024, his mother suffered a cerebral infarction (ischemic stroke). Due to insufficient funds for medical treatment, she was forced to leave the hospital earlier than recommended.

Escalation of the Dispute and Warning Signs

On February 17, 2025, when Liu Quan made his 13th visit to seek payment of unpaid wages, he concealed a hammer on his person and explicitly stated:

“Whoever uses a hammer to strike my case, I will use this hammer to strike them.”

This was regarded as a clear warning signal that Liu Quan’s emotional state had reached the verge of collapse.

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Final Attempt Before the Explosion

On April 7, 2025, one day before the explosion incident, Liu Quan made his final phone call seeking assistance.

The staff member refused to further address the unpaid wage issue, citing that:

“Du Chunyu would sue you for intentional injury.”

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The Explosion Incident

On the morning of April 8, 2025, Liu Quan, who was reportedly in a state of desperation, arrived at the office area of the Caofeidian District Labor Inspection Brigade carrying a homemade explosive device and detonated it.

According to publicly available information, before detonating the device, Liu Quan took the initiative to disperse nearby workers who had gathered at the scene.

Liu Quan himself suffered the most serious injuries in the explosion, classified as Level I minor injury (light injury).

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First-Instance Court Judgment

In March 2026, the first-instance court found Liu Quan guilty of:

• The crime of explosion, and
• The crime of illegally manufacturing explosive materials.

After applying combined punishment for multiple offenses, the court sentenced him to six years’ imprisonment.

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Controversy in the Appeal Process

Liu Quan refused to accept the first-instance judgment and filed an appeal.

His defense lawyer argued that there were multiple substantive and procedural issues in the case, including:

• The facts supporting the charge of illegally manufacturing explosive materials were unclear.
• The materials involved allegedly did not meet the threshold required for criminal liability.
• Relevant labor inspection officials had committed serious procedural violations during the administrative handling process.

The defense requested that the Tangshan Intermediate People’s Court hold a public hearing as soon as possible to review the appeal case.

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https://m.wyzxwk.com/Article/zatan/2026/07/529431.html https://china.caixin.com/m/2026-07-25/102468100.html

Xinhua News Agency’s Interpretation and Supplementary Commentary on China’s “10th Five-Year” Plan for Human Resources and Social Security Development

1. Employment will remain generally stable, with further progress toward high-quality and full employment.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China aims to maintain a considerable scale of new urban employment. The plan sets the following targets:

• Maintain a substantial number of newly created urban jobs.
• Help 25 million unemployed urban residents regain employment.
• Assist 6.5 million people facing employment difficulties in finding jobs.
• Keep the surveyed urban unemployment rate below 5.5%.
• Provide subsidized vocational skills training to more than 50 million participants, including 17.5 million migrant workers.

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2. The social security system will become more sustainable and better optimized, with improved coverage and benefit levels.

During the 15th Five-Year Plan period:

• The participation rate in the basic pension insurance system will remain above 95%.
• Enrollment in unemployment insurance and work-related injury insurance (including occupational injury protection) will reach 255 million and 345 million, respectively.
• Assets under enterprise annuity and occupational pension funds are expected to exceed RMB 9 trillion.

Commentary

1. China operates two major basic pension schemes: the Urban and Rural Resident Basic Pension Insurance (for individuals outside formal employment) and the Employee Basic Pension Insurance (for employees). The Plan does not specify which scheme the 95% participation rate refers to.

2. According to the 2025 Statistical Communiqué on National Economic and Social Development and the 2025 Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security (MOHRSS) Annual Report, China had approximately 725.04 million employed persons in 2025. Therefore, the Plan's targets imply that unemployment insurance and work-related injury insurance are expected to cover roughly half of the country's employed population by the end of the planning period.

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3. The skilled workforce will continue to expand, further strengthening talent-driven high-quality development.

During the planning period:

• An estimated 14 million additional professional qualification certificates will be issued.
• Around 35,000 postdoctoral researchers will be recruited annually.
• 40 million additional vocational qualification or vocational skill certificates will be awarded, including 14 million certificates at the senior technician level or above.

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4. The wage and income distribution system will become fairer and more comprehensive, contributing more effectively to common prosperity.

China will continue to uphold the principle of distribution according to work while allowing multiple forms of income distribution to coexist. The Plan calls for improving the primary income distribution mechanism by enabling market-based evaluation of factor contributions and remuneration based on those contributions, thereby promoting a fairer and more balanced income distribution system.

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5. Governance in labor relations will be strengthened, with better protection of workers' rights.

By the end of the 15th Five-Year Plan period, China aims to achieve:

• A 65% success rate in labor dispute mediation.
• A 93% case completion rate for labor arbitration.
• A 97% case completion rate for labor inspection complaints and reports.

Commentary

Under China's current legal framework, labor mediation and arbitration generally do not impose additional punitive damages on employers. In most cases, employers are only required to pay wages or compensation that should have been paid originally.

Additional compensation ranging from 50% to 100% of the unpaid amount may only be ordered through labor inspection enforcement when an employer fails to comply with an official order to pay wage arrears.

According to the MOHRSS 2025 Statistical Bulletin, labor mediation and arbitration handled approximately 4.1 million cases, while labor inspection authorities investigated roughly 130,000 cases, representing a ratio of approximately 32:1. The 15th Five-Year Plan does not propose increasing the proportion or enforcement role of labor inspections.

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6. Public service quality and accessibility will continue to improve, enhancing public satisfaction and accessibility.

The Plan aims to promote equal, inclusive, and convenient access to basic public services by establishing a universal, balanced, digital, and efficient human resources and social security service system.

By the end of the planning period, 90% of eligible residents are expected to possess an electronic Social Security Card (e-Social Security Card).

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7. Regional coordination mechanisms will be further improved to support balanced regional development.

The Plan calls for fully implementing China's regional development strategies and major regional initiatives while establishing a more coordinated human resources and social security governance framework characterized by complementary regional advantages and stronger interregional cooperation. This is intended to facilitate more balanced regional economic and social development.

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https://www.news.cn/20260709/2d97d1bc820c48e389239b2b872cf31c/c.html

China’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) Summary of Economic Performance in the First Half of 2026

Overall, the national economy operated within a reasonable range during the first half of the year. New quality productive forces continued to develop and expand, while high-quality development advanced toward greater innovation and higher efficiency. However, it should also be noted that external instability and uncertainties remain significant, domestic issues of strong supply and weak demand are still prominent, and the foundation for economic recovery and improvement requires further consolidation.

In the first half of the year, China’s gross domestic product (GDP) reached RMB 69.5704 trillion. Calculated at constant prices, GDP increased by 4.7% year on year.

By sector:

• The value added of the primary industry was RMB 3.1522 trillion, up 3.7% year on year.
• The value added of the secondary industry was RMB 25.0473 trillion, up 3.9%.
• The value added of the tertiary industry was RMB 41.3709 trillion, up 5.2%.

By quarter, GDP increased 5.0% year on year in the first quarter and 4.3% in the second quarter. On a quarter-on-quarter basis, GDP increased 0.9% in the second quarter.

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Industrial Capacity Utilization

In the second quarter of 2026, the capacity utilization rate of industrial enterprises above designated size nationwide was 73.0%, down 0.6 percentage points from the first quarter and down 1.0 percentage point from the same period last year.

By the three major industrial categories:

• Mining: 69.1%
• Manufacturing: 73.5%
• Production and supply of electricity, heat, gas, and water: 70.4%

By major industries:

• Coal mining and washing: 61.2%
• Food manufacturing: 70.2%
• Textile industry: 74.9%
• Manufacturing of chemical raw materials and chemical products: 69.4%
• Non-metallic mineral products: 59.6%
• Ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing: 77.6%
• Non-ferrous metal smelting and rolling processing: 76.2%
• General equipment manufacturing: 80.1%
• Special-purpose equipment manufacturing: 76.7%
• Automobile manufacturing: 70.8%
• Electrical machinery and equipment manufacturing: 70.3%
• Computer, communications equipment, and other electronic equipment manufacturing: 78.7%

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Consumer Market

In the first half of the year, total retail sales of consumer goods and services increased 2.7% year on year. Among them:

• Retail sales of services increased 5.3%.
• Retail sales of goods increased 1.1%.

Within service consumption, retail sales of:

• Information and communication services,
• Tourism consulting and rental services,
• Cultural, sports, and recreational services,

recorded relatively rapid growth.

Total retail sales of consumer goods reached RMB 24.8722 trillion, up 1.3% year on year.

By location of business operations:

• Urban consumer goods retail sales reached RMB 21.5506 trillion, up 1.2%.
• Rural consumer goods retail sales reached RMB 3.3216 trillion, up 2.5%.

By consumption category:

• Goods retail sales reached RMB 22.0467 trillion, up 1.1%.
• Catering revenue reached RMB 2.8255 trillion, up 2.8%.

Sales of essential consumer goods and some upgraded consumption categories grew relatively quickly. Among enterprises above designated size:

• Grain, oil, and food products increased 7.4%.
• Clothing, footwear, textiles, and related products increased 6.7%.
• Communication equipment increased 14.4%.

In June:

• Total retail sales of consumer goods reached RMB 4.2691 trillion, up 1.0% year on year, compared with a decline of 0.6% in May.
• Month-on-month growth was 0.38%.

In the first half of the year:

• Online retail sales of goods and services reached RMB 10.0715 trillion, up 5.2% year on year.
• Online retail sales of goods reached RMB 6.4296 trillion, up 4.8%.
• Online service retail sales reached RMB 3.6419 trillion, up 6.0%.

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Residents’ Income

In the first half of the year, national per capita disposable income reached RMB 22,981, representing:

• A nominal increase of 5.2% year on year.
• A real increase of 4.2% after adjusting for price factors.

By place of residence:

Urban residents:

• Per capita disposable income: RMB 30,126
• Nominal growth: 4.4%
• Real growth: 3.4%

Rural residents:

• Per capita disposable income: RMB 12,699
• Nominal growth: 6.4%
• Real growth: 5.5%

By income source, national per capita income increased nominally by:

• Wage income: 5.3%
• Net operating income: 6.5%
• Net property income: 1.1%
• Net transfer income: 5.8%

In the first half of the year, the ratio of urban-to-rural residents’ per capita disposable income (with rural residents as 1) was 2.37, narrowing by 0.05 compared with the previous year.

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Residents’ Consumption Expenditure

In the first half of the year, national per capita consumption expenditure was RMB 14,836, representing:

• A nominal increase of 3.7% year on year.
• A real increase of 2.7% after adjusting for price factors.

By residence:

Urban residents:

• Per capita consumption expenditure: RMB 18,071
• Growth: 3.0%
• Real growth: 2.0%

Rural residents:

• Per capita consumption expenditure: RMB 10,180
• Growth: 4.6%
• Real growth: 3.8%

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Breakdown of Per Capita Consumption Expenditure

In the first half of the year:

• Food, tobacco, and alcohol consumption expenditure: RMB 4,537, up 4.2%, accounting for 30.6% of total consumption expenditure.
• Clothing expenditure: RMB 880, up 4.4%, accounting for 5.9%.
• Housing expenditure: RMB 3,135, up 1.4%, accounting for 21.1%.
• Household goods and services expenditure: RMB 847, up 5.3%, accounting for 5.7%.
• Transportation and communication expenditure: RMB 2,065, up 4.7%, accounting for 13.9%.
• Education, culture, and entertainment expenditure: RMB 1,572, up 4.9%, accounting for 10.6%.
• Healthcare expenditure: RMB 1,330, up 1.2%, accounting for 9.0%.
• Other goods and services expenditure: RMB 470, up 9.3%, accounting for 3.2%.

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Employment

In the first half of the year, the average surveyed urban unemployment rate nationwide was 5.2%.

In June:

• The surveyed urban unemployment rate was 5.0%, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month.
• The unemployment rate among local household-registered labor force was 5.0%.
• The unemployment rate among migrant labor force was 4.9%.
• The unemployment rate among migrant agricultural workers was 4.8%.

The surveyed unemployment rate in 31 major cities was 5.0%, down 0.1 percentage points from the previous month.

The average weekly working hours of employees in enterprises nationwide was 48.2 hours.

By the end of the second quarter:

• The total number of rural migrant workers working outside their hometowns reached 192.27 million, an increase of 0.5% year on year.

Key Points:

China’s gross domestic product (GDP) in the first half of 2026 reached RMB 69.5704 trillion, calculated at constant prices, representing a year-on-year increase of 4.7%. GDP grew 5.0% year on year in the first quarter and 4.3% in the second quarter.

China’s GDP in the second quarter of 2026 increased 0.9% quarter on quarter, slowing from the 1.3% quarter-on-quarter growth rate in the first quarter.

China’s GDP growth rate in the first half of 2026 was 4.7% year on year, which was 0.6 percentage points lower than the 5.3% growth rate recorded in the first half of 2025.

GDP growth rates in the first half of recent years were:

• First half of 2023: 5.5%
• First half of 2024: 5.0%
• First half of 2025: 5.3%
• First half of 2026: 4.7%

China’s GDP growth has shown a “W-shaped fluctuating downward trend” after the pandemic, with economic growth gradually slowing amid fluctuations.

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Negative Growth Categories in Physical Goods Retail Sales

(January–June cumulative year-on-year nominal growth rate)

The categories experiencing negative growth in retail sales of physical goods include:

Automobile Products:

• Growth rate: -12.6%
• Total sales value: RMB 1.9688 trillion

Reasons:

Automobile consumption recorded the largest decline among all categories, mainly due to:

• Adjustments to new energy vehicle purchase tax incentives (changed from full exemption to a 5% tax rate).
• Temporary adjustments to trade-in subsidy quotas at the beginning of the year.
• Consumers adopting a wait-and-see attitude due to intensified price competition (“price wars”) among domestic automobile manufacturers.

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Building and Decoration Materials:

• Growth rate: -8.8%
• Total sales value: RMB 60.9 billion

Reasons:

This category was directly affected by:

• The decline in real estate development investment (down 18.0% year on year from January to June).
• The decline in new commercial housing sales area.

As a downstream segment of the real estate industry chain, demand for decoration materials continued to weaken.

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Household Appliances and Audio-Visual Equipment:

• Growth rate: -7.4%
• Total sales value: RMB 543.7 billion

Reasons:

The sector was affected by:

• The transmission effect from the real estate downturn.
• A relatively high comparison base due to large-scale consumption promotion policies during the same period last year.

As a result, sales of major household appliances faced significant pressure in the first half of the year.

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Petroleum and Related Products:

• Growth rate: -5.7%
• Total sales value: RMB 1.0696 trillion

Reasons:

The decline was mainly caused by:

• International oil price fluctuations.
• Partial replacement of traditional fuel vehicles by new energy vehicles.
• Changes in business travel patterns.

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Furniture:

• Growth rate: -3.7%
• Total sales value: RMB 87 billion

Reasons:

Similar to building and decoration materials, furniture is a typical large-scale consumption category closely linked to the real estate market. It remained weak due to the broader economic environment.

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Sports and Entertainment Products:

• Growth rate: -2.4%
• Total sales value: RMB 87 billion

Reasons:

The decline was mainly due to:

• A natural correction after a high comparison base.
• Reduced discretionary spending by residents on outdoor products and specific entertainment equipment.

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Communication Equipment Consumption

In the first half of the year, sales of “communication equipment,” including mobile phones, increased sharply by 14.4% year on year. In June alone, growth reached 16.5%, making it the fastest-growing category among all physical consumer goods.

However, according to data from Sigmaintell, China’s smartphone shipments in the second quarter of 2026 were approximately 63.1 million units, representing a 7% year-on-year decline.

The significant increase in sales value was mainly driven by rising smartphone prices. In 2026, global smartphone memory prices (DRAM and NAND flash memory) surged due to supply constraints, with costs increasing by nearly 300% compared with the same period last year.

According to reports from the China Business Journal, while sales of entry-level smartphones priced below US$400 dropped sharply, sales of smartphones priced above US$400, particularly premium flagship models, increased by 5.7% despite the overall market decline.

Huawei (with strong sales of the Pura 90 series and other flagship products) and Apple both experienced approximately 20% growth in shipments in the second quarter, moving against the overall market trend.

This represents a typical example of “K-shaped divergence”, where different market segments experience sharply different trends.

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Residents’ Income

In the first half of the year:

National per capita disposable income median was RMB 19,036 (approximately US$2,809), increasing 4.7% year on year.

The median income accounted for 82.8% of the average income level.

By residence:

Urban residents:

• Median per capita disposable income: RMB 26,389 (approximately US$3,894)
• Growth rate: 4.0%
• Median income accounted for 87.6% of average income

Rural residents:

• Median per capita disposable income: RMB 10,649 (approximately US$1,571)
• Growth rate: 5.9%
• Median income accounted for 83.9% of average income

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Wage Income

In the first half of the year:

National per capita wage income was RMB 13,298 (approximately US$1,962).

By residence:

Urban residents:

• Per capita wage income: RMB 18,359 (approximately US$2,709)
• Nominal year-on-year growth: 4.6%

Rural residents:

• Per capita wage income: RMB 6,013 (approximately US$887)
• Nominal year-on-year growth: 6.0%

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Residents’ Consumption Expenditure

In the first half of the year:

National per capita consumption expenditure was RMB 14,836 (approximately US$2,193).

• Nominal growth: 3.7%
• Real growth after adjusting for price factors: 2.7%

The largest components of household consumption remained:

• Food, tobacco, and alcohol: RMB 4,537, accounting for 30.6%.
• Housing: RMB 3,135, accounting for 21.1%.

Together, these two categories accounted for 51.7% of total per capita consumption expenditure.

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Average Weekly Working Hours

In the second quarter of 2026 (June):

The average weekly working hours of employees in enterprises nationwide were 48.2 hours.

Compared with:

• First quarter of 2026: 48.1 hours, an increase of 0.1 hours quarter on quarter.
• Second quarter of 2025: 48.5 hours, a decrease of 0.3 hours year on year.

China’s average weekly working hours for enterprise employees had increased continuously for nine years since 2015, reaching an excessive-work peak of 49.0 hours at the end of 2024.

Entering 2026, the continuous upward trend in average weekly working hours ended, with working hours beginning to decline.

https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202607/t20260715_1964121.html https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfbhjd/202607/t20260716_1964142.html https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202607/t20260715_1964129.html https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202607/t20260715_1964127.html https://www.stats.gov.cn/sj/zxfb/202607/t20260715_1964130.html

I am a Marxist in China

Orthodox Marxists in the Chinese internet community often view Russia and Iran as weak links in imperialism, rather than as anti-imperialist forces .However, in the view of Chinese Marxists, opposing the global hegemony of the United States takes precedence over opposing secondary imperialisms (Iran, Russia).

The person in the picture is Yang Heping, a US citizen with a Chinese green card, and he is the most popular orthodox Marxist-Leninist-Maoist self-media figure on the Chinese internet (with 3 million followers on Tiktok and 800,000 on Bilibili). Yang Heping advocates that whether it's Ukraine, Russia, or Iran, "the truth is on the side of the proletariat, not on the side of any government or capitalist."

In China, those who unconditionally support Iran and Russia are usually nationalists or national leftists.

I wonder if the differences between the left-wing in Europe and America and the left-wing in China are really that significant?