CHINA ATTEMPTS TO HIDE BLEAK DATA

June's data was alarming, with unemployment amongst 16-24-year-olds reaching 21.3%, double what it was 4 yrs ago

For a decade, Chairman Xi Jinping appeared to be untouchable in the eyes of media controlled by the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). He was celebrated as a near-deity, his image and supposed wisdom dominating national headlines. However, as the economic and strategic consequences of Xi’s policies start to manifest, the people of China are bearing the brunt of these developments.

Autocratic regimes like China’s are adept at manipulating information flow, but Beijing has taken more drastic measures to suppress data that could harm the CCP’s reputation both domestically and internationally. As a result, the National Bureau of Statistics of China ceased publishing information about youth unemployment in August. The data from June was alarming, with youth unemployment for those aged 16 to 24 reaching 21.3%, double the rate from four years prior. However, the situation is even graver than these numbers suggest, as in China, individuals are considered employed even if they work just one hour a week. Furthermore, rural youth are excluded from this statistic. There are concerns that the actual youth unemployment rate in China could be as high as 50%. Despite the National Bureau of Statistics’ ability to generate manipulated data, there is a limit to how much deception it can maintain. By withholding embarrassing information, the CCP hopes to sweep the issue under the rug.