'China in 2015 Will Be Like 1960s U.S.'
A 20-volume report on Chinese Sustainable Development compiled by 184 Chinese academics was released Monday to the Chinese media.  The reports predicts that the life expectancy of a Chinese person will be 85 years by 2050.  Currently, the Chinese life expectancy is 72 years.  Also, the average number of years a Chinese student will be in school is expected to jump from 8 years to 14 years by mid-century.  The study concluded that China has done to nothing  to improve its environmental situation over the last 3 years.  But the most interesting finding of the study to me was that the academics believe that in 2015, "China's social and economic indicators should be on par with developed countries in the 1960s."  That's a long time ago.  While I realize that this is chiefly an economic prediction, this makes me imagine China like 1960s America.  Like the sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll stuff.  I read before coming to Shanghai that China was entering its sexual revolution, and that for the first time there were traces of the "free love" of 60s America.  I can see this somewhat.  The drugs part, can't see it ever happening and the rock 'n' roll is coming around.  But I think really it means that China's economy is developing at such a rate that by 2015, China's 1.3 billion residents will have the financial security and access to care and education that those in developed countries had in the '60s.  Which really puts into perspective how far behind China really is.

•Reuters: Chinese Life Expectancy to Jump: Report

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