China to Support Homeless

Tourist spots and western hangouts are hoppin' joints for the beggars in Shanghai.

The Chinese government has extended its cost of living benefits to all beggars and homeless people, Deputy Minister of Civil Affairs Li Liguo said at a press conference on Wednesday.

Li listed three main causes of begging in China: "Some become beggars because of poverty, but a few choose begging as their profession and some are coerced into becoming beggars."

I know there are some who are truly unable to get jobs - they are pretty obvious. You can't miss them. Their deformities are unlike those you would find in the States.

Then there are the others. One of the gals that works in our office took the bus every morning with a grandmother who got off at the same stop my colleague did to sit down and beg all day. Her young well dressed son always accompanied her to the bus. My colleague finally approached her to ask why she begged. She said she was bored, and it was something to do. Her son, she said, discouraged her from begging because the family had enough money. But, she felt it gave her something to do, and she enjoyed talking to people.

This may have been an isolated incident. There are rumors of women picking up orphans at the orphanages and using them to beg during the day. There are lots of children begging often with their parents standing over to the side encouraging them. There are rumors of begging rings.

An expat sent around an email the other day to say he had been accosted at the Kerry Centre by a number of female beggars (with children of course) after he withdrew money from the ATM. They beat him over the head until he was bleeding and had to go to the hospital. But he proudly claimed that they did not get his money.