College Students Love the Party

Jinghua Times reported over 80% of college students are willing to become a member of the Communists Party.

Based on a survey conducted in Beijing, Tianjin, Shanghai, Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Jiangxi, Shangdong, Henan, Guangdong, Sichuan, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Dingxia and Xinjiang, 80% of college students expressed willingness to join the Party, tied with results of recent years.

Drawing the most bright and brilliant youth into the Party might not be a good sign for the country, though. While it's understandable that young graduates have a right to pursue social status and economic gains as party members, it would be consequential that these group would level whatever available to maintain their privileged lives, at a cost of the entire society's well being.

On the other hand, the Party has been increasingly relying on offspring of its own, or 'princelings', as only people it trusts, the disgruntle among people without a 'red-blood' heritage could unstable the regime's control on an already volatile situation.

The Emperor Revealed His New Clothes

The Ministry of Treasure released data on number of Chinese tax payers in the discussion of adjusting exemption level. According to the data, by increasing the level from CNY 2,000 to CNY 3,500, the population of personal incoming tax paying Chinese decreases from 84 million to 24 million.

The number of merely 24 million Chinese earned more than CNY 3,500 cams as a shock to some observers. In recently years, Chinese has been known as big spenders in the western world. They raised up housing price in Canada and often clear entire store of luxurious goods on vacation. The number is certainly at odds with the spending power demonstrated by Chinese tourists.

Numbers on Chinese American

Data composed by Qiao Lei at Sina Blog from Federal publications. 'Chinese American' refers to all Chinese who live in the US and report tax to the IRS.

1. 3.54 million Chinese live in the United States in 2007.

2. Income of Chinese American between age 18 and 64,
<$10K (19.3%)
$10K-$20K (15.2%)
$20K-$35K (18%)
$35K-$50K (12.7%)
$50K-$75K (14.9%)
>$75K (19.8%)
In other words, the largest age block of Chinese Americans earned more than $75K in 2007.

3. Educated Chinese Americans Earn Less than White Americans
Chinese White
High School $25,641 $32,693
College $55,571 $62,185
Postgraduate $85,805 $86,316

4. Second Generation Chinese American Less Competitive as 1.5 Generations
G1 G1.5 G2
High School: $24,906 $29,720 $29,720*
College: $54,195 $58,031 $55,725
Postgraduate: $79,906 $106,053 $101,281

A Changing Landscape in Taiwan Residents' Self Identity

According to a recent survey conducted in Taiwan, comparing to 12 years ago, more people in Taiwan consider themselves Taiwanese, rather than Chinese.

The items in the chart are, from top to bottom:

You consider yourself a Taiwanese;

You consider yourself a Taiwanese and a Chinese;

You consider yourself a Chinese;

A Taiwanese is a Chinese

The orange bar represents numbers in 1997 while the blue bars represents numbers in 2009. Taiwan calendar starts in 1911, when the Republic of China (ROC) was founded in Nanjing. It is noted that 'Chinese' as quoted is not the same as citizen of the People's Republic of China.

The rapid changing self identity landscape can be read as a result of political wrangling between two parties. The KMD who historically rely on people originally from the mainland, while the PPD who make itself known by pushing towards an independent country detached from the mainland. Taiwan is one of few places in the world that in very recent years to create an ethic group purely by residency. Both parties count on votes of people who do not agree on the other party's ethnic policy. During the ruling of PPD from 2000 to 2008, more Taiwan people are steered by the politics towards labeling themselves mainstream, Taiwanese.

On the other hand, for many years since the overturn of ROC in 1949 in mainland, people in Taiwan has been fed of the idea that people in the mainland are suffering from the communist ruling, and that people in Taiwan had the moral obligation to rescue folks in mainland. Taiwan had been actively pursuing military assault of mainland until it's obviously that the mainland gained upper hand. Subsequently Taiwan has been worried about being invaded by the mainland, and increasingly sees the mainland a threat. Declaring independence leaves the mainland with one less reason to pursue the unification by force.

The population composition is changing too. Many people originally from mainland before 1949 are dying. In general people from mainland have better education as well as means and ways. Their offspring are more likely to have left Taiwan to US or Japan.

Fresh PhD Graduate Salary Survey 2006

Among 23 disciplinarian surveyed:
1. Business Administration/Management: $81,438;
2. Electrical/Electronics & Communications Engineering: $81,297;
3. Metallurgical Engineering: $80,667;
4. Computer Science: $76,630;
5. Chemical Engineering: $75,659;
......
19. Psychology: $49,374;
20. Humanities: $48,938;
21. Social Sciences: $48,487;
22. Biological Sciences/Life Sciences: $43,916;
23. English Language & Literature/Letters: $41,405

The origin and accuracy of this survey, which appeared mostly in Chinese media, are not clear.