Why China’s ‘iron rice bowl’ looks more appealing for the children of senior officials
Targeted by graft-busters and with fewer well-paid jobs in private sector as economy slows, more are said to be taking up government work
At the height of China’s rapid economic growth and embrace of globalisation it was unusual for the children of senior officials to follow their parents into the public sector.
While government jobs are seen as decent and secure, they are low-paid and demanding, and there are more constraints on personal choices compared to those in the private sector.
Instead, the sons and daughters of senior officials have often made headlines in the last two decades as the leaders of lucrative businesses, both in China and overseas.
Now, officials across various government agencies are working with colleagues from privileged backgrounds, according to several people with knowledge of the matter.
The shift could be due to the party’s increasing oversight of senior officials, including their family connections overseas, as well as the dwindling number of well-paid jobs in the private sector in a tough economy, according to insiders.