Chicom
4th January 2007, 08:35
PETER CAVE: In recent years China has taken huge steps down the road to private ownership, but one of its towns has resisted the push and instead sells itself as the "model socialist village".
What's more, the town of Huaxi claims to have become the richest in China, where once poor farmers now drive flash cars and live in big, new houses.
Our China Correspondent, Stephen McDonell, visited Huaxi for AM.
(Sound of music)
STEPHEN MCDONELL: The people of Huaxi celebrate its 45th birthday, proudly proclaiming their town has become the richest in China.
In the early 1960s its farmers had an average annual income of $9. Today they're said to earn $12,700 a year.
And certainly, if you take a walk around the town, the shiny cars and new houses do show a level of affluence greater than surrounding villages.
They've built a theme park with a huge mock Tiananmen Gate on the top of a mountain, kilometres of fake Great Wall, and even a Sydney Opera House building.
Not that there's a lot of time to enjoy it, because there are no weekends in Huaxi. People get two days off a month.
Locals receive only a small amount of cash, and the collective provides a house, a car and even food.
(Sound of woman speaking Chinese)
"We lead a very nice life here. Our basic requirements are guaranteed. The town takes responsibility for all our needs."
Huaxi calls itself a model socialist village. Ownership of its enterprises is collective and the estate-like houses are also owned by the whole town. If you leave Huaxi to go and live somewhere else, you lose your house and your car.
A large proportion of people's savings also goes into collective accounts, and locals need to apply to get access to them.
But the town's leader, Communist Party Secretary Wu Xie'en, says its prosperity stems from the pooling of people's money.
(Wu Xie'en speaking)
"If we combine our limited resources, together we can invest in big projects."
(Sound of machinery operating)
And big projects are what Huaxi has invested in. The town is surrounded by heavy industry. As a result, it also pays a heavy price in terms of air quality.
It runs steel mills and textile factories, and barges loaded with goods steam up a dark, polluted river.
Though it's impossible to know if Huaxi's companies have been propped up in some way by the Chinese Government, its industries appear to be economically successful.
Thousands of workers from elsewhere in China have migrated to the area to take up jobs in Huaxi's factories, but they can't become factory owners, only fully-fledged Huaxi townspeople have that privilege.
At this stage there are strict limits on who can become an official resident and sing along to the town song, knowing their future is assured.
(Sound of music)
And, according to its lyrics, this town is not about to join the rest of China in the rush to privatisation.
"She hui zhuyi ding neng fu Huaxi" - "socialism can definitely enrich Huaxi".
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1818828.htm
What's more, the town of Huaxi claims to have become the richest in China, where once poor farmers now drive flash cars and live in big, new houses.
Our China Correspondent, Stephen McDonell, visited Huaxi for AM.
(Sound of music)
STEPHEN MCDONELL: The people of Huaxi celebrate its 45th birthday, proudly proclaiming their town has become the richest in China.
In the early 1960s its farmers had an average annual income of $9. Today they're said to earn $12,700 a year.
And certainly, if you take a walk around the town, the shiny cars and new houses do show a level of affluence greater than surrounding villages.
They've built a theme park with a huge mock Tiananmen Gate on the top of a mountain, kilometres of fake Great Wall, and even a Sydney Opera House building.
Not that there's a lot of time to enjoy it, because there are no weekends in Huaxi. People get two days off a month.
Locals receive only a small amount of cash, and the collective provides a house, a car and even food.
(Sound of woman speaking Chinese)
"We lead a very nice life here. Our basic requirements are guaranteed. The town takes responsibility for all our needs."
Huaxi calls itself a model socialist village. Ownership of its enterprises is collective and the estate-like houses are also owned by the whole town. If you leave Huaxi to go and live somewhere else, you lose your house and your car.
A large proportion of people's savings also goes into collective accounts, and locals need to apply to get access to them.
But the town's leader, Communist Party Secretary Wu Xie'en, says its prosperity stems from the pooling of people's money.
(Wu Xie'en speaking)
"If we combine our limited resources, together we can invest in big projects."
(Sound of machinery operating)
And big projects are what Huaxi has invested in. The town is surrounded by heavy industry. As a result, it also pays a heavy price in terms of air quality.
It runs steel mills and textile factories, and barges loaded with goods steam up a dark, polluted river.
Though it's impossible to know if Huaxi's companies have been propped up in some way by the Chinese Government, its industries appear to be economically successful.
Thousands of workers from elsewhere in China have migrated to the area to take up jobs in Huaxi's factories, but they can't become factory owners, only fully-fledged Huaxi townspeople have that privilege.
At this stage there are strict limits on who can become an official resident and sing along to the town song, knowing their future is assured.
(Sound of music)
And, according to its lyrics, this town is not about to join the rest of China in the rush to privatisation.
"She hui zhuyi ding neng fu Huaxi" - "socialism can definitely enrich Huaxi".
http://www.abc.net.au/am/content/2006/s1818828.htm