China remains largest developing country: Economist
Beijing, April 16: China remains the world's largest developing country despite having a a low per capita GDP, lingering urban-rural gap, weak industrial competitiveness and technological innovation, according to an economist.
The remarks were made by Wang Yuanhong, an economist at the State Information Centre, Xinhua news agency reported on Monday.
"We should look at both economic aggregate and per capita figures when measuring the real development level of a country," Wang said.
Despite being the world's second largest economy, China's per capita GDP in 2016 was only 80 percent of the world average, one-seventh of the US and was ranked the 68th globally.
"Chinese per capita consumer spending was only $2,506 in 2016, less than half of the world average and only 7 percent of the US."
The Engel's coefficient, which measures food expenditures as a proportion of total household spending, stood at 29.3 per cent in China, much higher than developed economies.
"It means the Chinese people still have to spend big on basic needs, and their expenditure on culture, health care, entertainment and tourism are much less than people in developed countries," Wang said.
He said China was still "a follower in technological innovation", with businesses inadequate in research and development.
"Eighty percent of core technology, most of high-end equipment, and core components are reliant on imports."
Despite emerging new technology, products and business models, China is yet to complete building an innovation-driven growth pattern, Wang said.
The disparity of people's incomes per capita between provinces can be as large as more than four times, and there is still a marked gap in infrastructure and public services between cities and villages.
"China's urbanisation ratio was only 58.52 per cent in 2017, far below the around 80 per cent of developed countries," Wang said.
Compared with developed countries, China lags behind in many other areas including environment protection, investment effectiveness and market supervision, the economist added.
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FIR against Haryana BJP chief in gang-rape case: Cong seeks his removal, questions PM's 'silence'
New Delhi, Jan 15: The Congress Wednesday slammed the BJP over the FIR registered against the party's Haryana unit chief for alleged gang rape, saying Prime Minister Narendra Modi must answer why the accused has still not been removed from the post despite such a serious allegation against him.
Haryana BJP chief Mohan Lal Badoli and a singer were booked after a woman alleged that she was raped by them in a hotel in Himachal Pradesh's Kasauli. Police have registered an FIR against the two men, officials said.
According to the complainant, the two men made videos of the act and threatened to kill the victim if she informed anyone about the incident.
Addressing a press conference here, Mahila Congress chief Alka Lamba alleged that the Haryana BJP state president was involved in the girl's gang rape on the pretext of getting her a permanent government job.
She claimed BJP leaders have been involved in committing crimes against women earlier too.
BJP MP Brijbhushan Sharan Singh was accused of sexual harassment and BJP MLA Kuldeep Singh Sengar was accused of rape, while in Karnataka, the BJP gave a poll ticket to "mass rapist" Prajwal Revanna and the Prime Minister went to campaign for him, she said.
"BJP leaders are able to muster the courage to commit sexual harassment because their party is standing with them," she said, alleging that the prime minister's 'Beti Bachao' slogan is a sham.
"The truth is that daughters have to be saved from BJP leaders only. The Congress government will not allow injustice to happen to any daughter," Lamba said.
Demanding that Badoli be removed from his post, the Congress leader said, "BJP president J P Nadda ji, Prime Minister Narendra Modi ji and Amit Shah ji, the law is in your hands. You create pressure, hence no action is taken against the criminals and daughters do not get justice."
"The BJP will have to answer how their (Haryana) state president is still in his post after such a serious allegation. The prime minister, home minister, BJP Mahila Morcha, BJP's national president and big leaders must answer," she said.
"On one hand, an FIR has been filed against Haryana BJP president on rape charges... in Madhya Pradesh, BJP leader Ajit Pal Singh Chauhan has been arrested for raping a woman. In such an environment, the Women’s Commission, which has the responsibility of providing justice to women, is silent. The daughters of the country are demanding justice, but PM Modi is silent," Lamba said.
Referring to the BJP's Delhi Assembly poll candidate Ramesh Bidhuri's remark that he will make roads which will be like Congress leader "Priyanka Gandhi’s cheeks", Lamba said the comments prove how much respect his party has for women.
"Bidhuri's eyes are more on the cheeks of mothers, sisters and daughters than on the roads. Women protested against the lowly statement, after which he had to apologize. However, Bidhuri is continuously making objectionable statements," she said.
The BJP is silent over Bidhuri's statements and is promoting such language instead, the Mahila Congress chief claimed.
