SMU Associate Professor of Political Science John Donaldson was interviewed for an article about the urban-rural wealth gap in China. While industrialisation has played a significant role in lifting many Chinese citizens out of poverty, Associate Prof Donaldson said the importance of rural development should not be overlooked. Citing former Chinese president Hu Jintao’s introduction of healthcare and education to rural areas, he said such initiatives give citizens the option of remaining in rural areas – rather than shifting to megalopolises in search of a better life. At the same time, those measures alleviate the problem of overcrowding in urban areas