INTRO: segment number eight -- "The Two Worlds of Shenzhen"

EXPANDING BY ALMOST THIRTEEN PERCENT A YEAR...CHINA HAS ONE OF THE FASTEST GROWING ECONOMIES IN THE WORLD.  POWERED BY REMARKABLE ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT IN THE COUNTRY'S SPECIAL ECONOMIC ZONES...MILLIONS OF CHINESE HAVE BECOME A LOT WEALTHIER. BUT AS ERIC OLANDER REPORTS  FROM SHENZHEN IN PART EIGHT OF OUR SERIES POSTCARDS FROM CHINA...THERE IS ANOTHER SIDE OF THE STORY. (:18)

STORY:

SHENZHEN IS COMPRISED OF TWO CONFLICTING WORLDS.  TO GET THE BEST VIEW OF BOTH...SIMPLY GO TO THE MIDDLE OF TOWN WHERE THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT ENDS AND THE SECTION CALLED LAO JIE OR OLD STREETS BEGINS. 

NOTICE ON THE ONE SIDE YOU'LL SEE BEAUTIFUL NEW OFFICE BUILDINGS....THE WORLD'S FINEST HOTELS AND LOTS OF CONSTRUCTION.  THIS IS THE SHENZHEN THAT MOST OF THE WORLD HAS BECOME FAMILIAR WITH...A CITY BRIMMING WITH ECONOMIC PROSPERITY AND OPPORTUNITY. (:22)

IT'S IMPORTANT TO REMEMBER THOUGH THAT ONLY A FEW YEARS AGO SHENZHEN WAS A SLEEPY BORDER TOWN THAT ENGAGED IN MOSTLY AGRICULTURAL TRADE WITH HONG KONG...BUT A NEW STOCK MARKET...BILLIONS OF DOLLARS IN FOREIGN INVESTMENT AND A LOOSENING OF REGULATIONS HAVE ALL FUELED THIS CITY'S ECONOMIC EXPLOSION...MAKING SHENZHEN ONE OF CHINA'S RICHEST CITIES AND A KEY REASON WHY GUANGDONG PROVINCE IS NOW THE COUNTRY'S SECOND WEALTHIEST REGION.

BUT WHILE LOOKING AT THE IMPRESSIVE NEW BUILDINGS AND THE SHINY NEW GERMAN AND JAPANESE CARS THAT GLIDE THROUGH THE COMMERCIAL DISTRICT...GLANCE OVER AT THE OLD STREETS FOR A SECOND.

THERE ISN'T VERY MUCH CONSTRUCTION GOING ON HERE...THE BUILDINGS ARE MOSTLY RUN DOWN AND YOU QUICKLY ASK YOURSELF IS THIS THE SAME CITY? (:59)

STROLL FOR A WHILE ALONG THE PERIMETER OF THE OLD STREETS AND YOU CAN'T HELP BUT NOTICE A SERIES OF PATHETIC LOOKING SHACKS.  THESE DWELLINGS ARE MADE FROM TIN...SCRAPWOOD AND OLD CARDBOARD.  THE FRAGILE STRUCTURES OFFER LITTLE SHELTER WHEN IT RAINS AND PROVIDE MINIMAL COVER FROM THE DUST STORMS FROM THE NEARBY CONSTRUCTION SITES.

I ASKED A FRIEND OF MINE...WHO LIVES IN THESE SHACKS?  AND HE EXPLAINED THAT WITHOUT THESE PEOPLE...SHENZHEN WOULD BE A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE.

THEY ARE THE CONSTRUCTION WORKERS.  MOST HAVE IMMIGRATED FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE...ARE VERY POOR AND ARE FORCED TO WORK LONG HOURS AND LIVE IN OBVIOUSLY VERY UNCOMFORTABLE CONDITIONS.  THESE PEOPLE PERSONIFY A VERY SERIOUS PROBLEM FACING NOT ONLY THE CITY OF SHENZHEN....BUT ALL OF CHINA.  THE GROWING GAP BETWEEN THE RICHER URBAN AREAS AND THE POORER RURAL REGIONS IS PROMPTING PEOPLE FROM THE COUNTRYSIDE TO MIGRATE IN LARGER AND LARGER NUMBERS TO THE CITIES.  THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT SAYS NATIONWIDE THERE ARE BETWEEN EIGHTY AND ONE-HUNDRED MILLION OF THESE PEOPLE....BUT MOST EXPERTS BELIEVE THIS IS A VERY CONSERVATIVE ESTIMATE.  AS IN SHENZHEN....THE MAJORITY OF THE MALE MIGRANT WORKERS FIND THEMSELVES ON CONSTRUCTION SITES....WHILE THE WOMEN OFTEN WORK IN SWEATSHOPS OR AS PROSTITUTES. (2:01)

TO SEE THIS IN ACTION GO TO ANY OF THE DOWNTOWN HOTELS AND WATCH THE PROSTITUTES FREELY WALK PAST THE DOORMEN...HOTEL SECURITY AND EVEN THE POLICE RIGHT INTO THE HOTEL LOBBY IN SEARCH OF NEW CLIENTS.

MANY SHENZHEN RESIDENTS POINT TO OVERCROWDING...INCREASED CRIME AND PROSTITUTION AS EXAMPLES OF HOW THEIR QUALITY OF LIFE IS DETERIORATING AS A DIRECT RESULT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT.  BUT ASKED WHAT COULD BE DONE TO REMEDY THE SITUATION...THESE PEOPLE SAID "NOT MUCH" ARGUING THAT VICE IS A CONSEQUENCE OF GREATER PROSPERITY.

WITH A POSTCARD FROM CHINA...I'M ERIC OLANDER IN SHENZHEN. (2:30)

OUTRO:

IN OUR NEXT POSTCARD...ERIC BRAVES THE CROWDS AT THE GUANGZHOU RAIL STATION.

© BBC World Service 1993