China's middle class is projected to reach 40% of the population in 2020, twice the proportion at the turn of the century, according to the International City Development Report released jointly by the Social Sciences Academic Press and Shanghai Academy of Social Science more ›

The New York Times has a photo gallery and write up of the rapid urbanization and sometimes frightening construction happening in China's biggest cities - specifically around Shanghai and Hong Kong. While the writing leans towards flowery ("These photographs are ecological in the classical sense of the word—”eco” meaning “home” in Greek, and “log” meaning “word”—since they create a dialogue about home, about the way infrastructure first reflects our aspirations and assumptions, and then shapes them," says Todd Doddy), the pictures themselves are stark and beautiful, despite being only about half-constructed, entirely generic buildings. more ›

Figures released by the National Population and Family Planning Commission have estimated China's population will reach 1.39 billion by the end of 2015, with those aged 60 or over topping 200 million people. Over the next five years, China's urban population will also surpass its rural counterpart, with city dwellers expected to exceed 700 million. more ›

Al-Jazeera is not the news channel one typically goes to for China news, but they have just come up with an excellent documentary that we felt compelled to share with you. It offers us a glimpse of what life is like for the more than 150 million people who have left their homes in rural China in search of a better paying job in the cities. It's the biggest mass migration the world has ever seen, and it is happening right now. The camera makes its way into the dilapidated shacks that some of these migrant workers call home in Shanghai, and follows others back to their hometowns which have seen a rapid depopulation over the last few years. Everyone of working age has left for the city, leaving the really old to take care of the fields, and the really young. Life is tough, everyone somehow gets by, but nobody really knows what's in store for tomorrow. Great work by Al-Jazeera for putting a human face to a phenomenon that is so profoundly changing China's social landscape. more ›