The Chinese government is pushing forward with a massive plan to move 250 million rural townspeople to urban areas over the course of the next 12 to 15 years. In order to meet this goal, it has bulldozed large swaths of farmland and evicted millions of villagers from their homes.
But even as skyscrapers, shopping malls, and office complexes spring up overnight, most of China’s brand new metropolises remain largely vacant. Colorful “For Rent” banners adorn the exteriors of apartment buildings, freshly paved boulevards go days without seeing a single vehicle, and shopkeepers doze on their counters as they wait for customers to arrive.
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