My son's kindergarten is going to resume in Monday, and they asked for 48h test results from everyone in the household by Monday morning.
Possibly related to this, today I heard a central free testing facility in our neighborhood had run out of swabs by 4pm, and had to stop taking tests for the day because of that.
@AlPage48: "hate the way the word "free" is used in the context of health care"
Even if it's all provided by the state's tax revenues, someone does pay indeed.
But compared to many other countries, in China the state and local governments get revenue from many other sources than direct taxation of individuals.
Lot of people (in particular in cities like Kunming and lower) do not earn enough to ever pay income tax, even if full-time employed. What you earn you keep, and what you spend is your choice.
It makes it appear less like you are paying for someone else's health care when you finance the system by buying an apartment, cigarettes, train ticket, or whatever.
I'm not sure sure if you interpreted my previous post as I intended, but to continue on the HOD theme, my point was for the underlings to do as the King judges best, so the King may observe possible errors in his own judgement and improve on that in future.
So as to avoid giving false impression of (for example) businesses surviving despite the restrictions, just because the restrictions are not actually followed that much.
Varying enforcement and miscommunications could be primary reason for some debatably tough policies (and not just about CoVid) in China.
If government decisions would be followed more accurately, perhaps said government could better observe side-effects of hazardous policies, and avoid formulating such in future.
From this perspective I think that reporting (for what it's worth on forums like this) what really happens on the ground is beneficial in bigger picture - even if it could land some businesses in trouble.
In our vicinity there are places where you can still get the test for free, and other newer ones have been popping up where it is the 16ish RMB with shorter lines. I take this as government acknowledging that the testing burden is too much without buying extra services, hence the fees.
I get that these restrictions are for all of China, but so are my arguments above to try to understand them.
Personally I am against the restrictions despite the (debatable) life saving reasoning behind them.
I would quote a medical professional from Finland at early stages of the pandemic, who tried tor rationalize the acceptability of old people simply dying away. He phrased it along the lines of "old people don't die because they stop eating, they stop eating because they are dying".
About the elderly and other vulnerable groups, I can only assume that the very purpose of these restrictions is to get them stay at home. Getting around is problematic, but that's probably the point of this exercise.
I dare to speculate that the number of those missing important hospital visits or other other life-critical appointments is small relative to those that might get seriously (deadly) ill from getting the virus from going to shopping centers, dancing, or picking up grandchildren, if that was easy.
Notable also that at least in some locales elderly are/were not allowed to get vaccinated at local clinics, and are still missing vaccinations completely.
Is it free, if it is funded by tax payers? Or state-owned tobacco sales?
Most foreigners in China I expect to break above the 4800 RMB monthly income limit, and therefore be interested to know that their tax contributions provide (among other things) education to Chinese youth.
But Chinese not so much. Many do not earn over 3500 RMB a month, and especially not the typical villagers and parents in locales where children drop out of compulsory education.
I argue that however little people earn, they should have to provide even a marginal tax contribution to raise awareness about efficient spending of those contributions.
Then again, that may still not be in best interest of the Chinese state.
Yes, I agree that China is far behind many countries, and when measuring happiness in international level, money starts to play less important role.
China has obvious disadvantages when it comes to civil liberties and democracy for example. People in countries that are arguably better positioned in those aspects, that knowledge alone will make them feel better about their own lives - even if financially they would not fare relatively any better than average Chinese.
But these awards in OP were limited to Chinese cities and I assume to Chinese respondents (by huge proportion anyway).
In Chinese context, Chengu has still been boasting GDP growth in the double digits or very close anyway, and while few will admit that money brings happiness, increase in GDP will translate to some degree of hope and positive vibe among the Chinese residents.
In national level, China's double digit days are over, but they were there anyway at some point. Was it ever so for Kunming? (not that I know if it still is)
I don't get this part (or I probably do, but disagree wholeheartedly):
"an official at a county-level education bureau in Yunnan told local media in 2014, explaining the local attitudes. "By the time he finishes school, all the good girls would be married, and it'd be hard for him to find a wife.""
Is (was) this "official" saying that if a boy takes his compulsory education to the end and finishes school at 15-or-so old, all good girls are married by then?
Hello?
"No marriage may be contracted before the man has reached 22 years of age and the woman 20 years of age."
Perhaps the schools should have more classes about the laws of China, so at least the future generations wouldn't need to be sued to take their kids to school.
Well, I for one am closing on 5th full year in Kunming, and can not speak Chinese more than casual greetings or understanding how much money to give when I buy something.
Local spouse contributes a lot to avoid having to learn, and since neither of us are teachers, family happiness comes before frustrating teacher/student relationship.
Also, to me it seems that it gets easier to manage without Chinese every year - I suppose it is some kind of development both ways.
But I have been considering taking formal classes - not so much to hold a conversation, but as backup plan if things change career or otherwise.
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Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted byBut what is free?
Is it free, if it is funded by tax payers? Or state-owned tobacco sales?
Most foreigners in China I expect to break above the 4800 RMB monthly income limit, and therefore be interested to know that their tax contributions provide (among other things) education to Chinese youth.
But Chinese not so much. Many do not earn over 3500 RMB a month, and especially not the typical villagers and parents in locales where children drop out of compulsory education.
I argue that however little people earn, they should have to provide even a marginal tax contribution to raise awareness about efficient spending of those contributions.
Then again, that may still not be in best interest of the Chinese state.
China hands out happy city awards, Kunming sad
Posted by@bilingualexpat:
Yes, I agree that China is far behind many countries, and when measuring happiness in international level, money starts to play less important role.
China has obvious disadvantages when it comes to civil liberties and democracy for example. People in countries that are arguably better positioned in those aspects, that knowledge alone will make them feel better about their own lives - even if financially they would not fare relatively any better than average Chinese.
But these awards in OP were limited to Chinese cities and I assume to Chinese respondents (by huge proportion anyway).
China hands out happy city awards, Kunming sad
Posted byIn Chinese context, Chengu has still been boasting GDP growth in the double digits or very close anyway, and while few will admit that money brings happiness, increase in GDP will translate to some degree of hope and positive vibe among the Chinese residents.
In national level, China's double digit days are over, but they were there anyway at some point. Was it ever so for Kunming? (not that I know if it still is)
Government sues parents to get kids back to school
Posted byI don't get this part (or I probably do, but disagree wholeheartedly):
"an official at a county-level education bureau in Yunnan told local media in 2014, explaining the local attitudes. "By the time he finishes school, all the good girls would be married, and it'd be hard for him to find a wife.""
Is (was) this "official" saying that if a boy takes his compulsory education to the end and finishes school at 15-or-so old, all good girls are married by then?
Hello?
"No marriage may be contracted before the man has reached 22 years of age and the woman 20 years of age."
Perhaps the schools should have more classes about the laws of China, so at least the future generations wouldn't need to be sued to take their kids to school.
Life in Kunming: Studying Chinese in the Spring City
Posted byWell, I for one am closing on 5th full year in Kunming, and can not speak Chinese more than casual greetings or understanding how much money to give when I buy something.
Local spouse contributes a lot to avoid having to learn, and since neither of us are teachers, family happiness comes before frustrating teacher/student relationship.
Also, to me it seems that it gets easier to manage without Chinese every year - I suppose it is some kind of development both ways.
But I have been considering taking formal classes - not so much to hold a conversation, but as backup plan if things change career or otherwise.