China’s future rests on 200m precarious workers

Illustration: Chris W Kim

Sep 18th 2025|Kunshan, Shanghai and Shenzhen|7 min read

Chu Xin’s search for work has taken him on a journey this summer. First he travelled some 1,500km from his home in China’s deep south-west to Shenzhen, a bustling manufacturing hub across from Hong Kong. Next was a bus another 1,500km north to Kunshan, which churns out electronics, where he twisted tiny screws into phone parts for ten hours a day. That was mind-numbingly dull; by day five he had had enough. So he grabbed his few belongings and headed south—ready for the next stage in his odyssey.