Relatively recently, China has undergone fundamental changes from a centrally planned economy to one which embraces market forces; and from a largely rural based society to an increasingly urban one. Although rapid economic development has dramatically reduced the numbers of poor people, inequality has increased, especially between the more affluent coastal eastern regions and the poorer inland western regions.
近年來,中國經(jīng)歷了根本的變革,由中央計劃經(jīng)濟轉向利用市場的力量。原來基本上以鄉(xiāng)村為基礎的社會逐漸都市化。高速的經(jīng)濟發(fā)展雖然大大減少了貧困人口的數(shù)量,但是不平等現(xiàn)象也有增加。東部沿海較富裕地區(qū)與西部較貧困的內(nèi)陸地區(qū)的差距尤其突出。