Okemos
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No, you don't understand. Don't always talk about CCP's control or something, it's not so serious as what you thought.
Let's first define slum, it's extremely poor area in cities, right I guess?
China has no slums because Hukou kept peasant-workers away from big cities. Many social welfare, education opportunity, and public services are firmly attached to one's Hukou, if you don't have Hukou of Beijing, you can't survive or your living cost would rise fearfully....For both people who live in Beijing, the life of whoever with Beijing Hukou would be much easier than people without. Hukou restricts the lateral migration across China and serves people who live in the cities, especially Beijing who hypocritically singing: Beijing welcomes you. Actually it should be Beijing pisses all peasants off!!
Actually, Hukou just totally divide cities and villages(villages in north China is rather poor, but richer in southeast China). Many peasant-workers have low income jobs in big cities, but there is still no big slums like the slums in Rio de Janeiro. The peasant-workers don't have equal treatment as residents of the city, that's why many of them come back to rural areas when earned enough money. Peasant come back, so no slums exist.
But this gonna change sooner or later, Chinese government got the schedule already, low income peasant workers would have equal opportunities as citizens if they accumulate enough points by getting higher degree, paying tax annually, no criminal records, etc.
Another reason, China is a Communist country as officially claimed, so land could not be traded directly, which means that peasants can't sell their land to the other party and subsequently means that they will still have a living place when come back from big cities. People in slums are different, slums are the only place you can stay and forever.
This is a rather complex issue. City dwellers have self interest so naturally they will resist any change that will cut their share of public welfare. Plus most people are short sighted and only take care of their immediate needs. The government is gradually pushing the reform. I mean gradually, because any drastic change will be resisted by powerful city dwellers, or rather urban residents.
The living standards of city and countryside in southeastern China have narrowed down enough that most people are no longer interested in city hukou. Hukou is a complex issue and must be taken care of on regional bases.
Call me cynical, the hukou system reform demonstrates why most Chinese are not ready for democracy. Most of older generations just have vivid memory of hunger and poverty so they are not willing to share. It's always me, me, me.