From September 1st, China will start implementing mandatory social insurance contributions, sparking widespread backlash due to concerns over fairness. Recently, a video surfaced featuring the grandson of an elderly farmer from Fengdu County in Chongqing, decrying the fact that his 81-year-old grandfather has been receiving a mere 185 yuan per month in social security after contributing for 52 years. He questions why farmers still suffer despite the reforms and opening up of the country.
The grandson and grandfather together proclaim: “We are Chinese, we demand fair retirement!”
In a recent video posted on social media platform WeChat, retired veteran Ju Xiaolin shared his grandfather Zhu Jicheng’s story. According to Zhu, starting in 1953, farmers were required to pay grain taxes based on land and hand over the produced grain. “My grandfather was a real grain payer, and it wasn’t until 2006 when agricultural taxes were abolished nationwide that the historic practice ceased. My grandfather contributed grain for a total of 52 years.”
At 81 years old, Zhu Jicheng now receives a monthly social security payout of 185 yuan in 2025, less than 1% of a retired lieutenant-level official’s income.
He stated, “My grandfather paid grain taxes under hunger and hardship back then. Is this meager amount compared to what city dwellers receive fair? As a son of a farmer, observing my grandfather’s life, it seems that the fate of rural farmers is as humble and undervalued as straw. How can we survive in this situation? Therefore, we shout out: ‘We are Chinese, we demand fair retirement!'”
This video has garnered attention and sparked discussions among netizens.
A Chongqing citizen, Mr. Xiao, commented, “An 81-year-old farmer in Chongqing labored for a lifetime, paying grain taxes for 52 years. While young, he handed over his food supplies to the state, and now he only receives 185 yuan per month in retirement benefits. A retired urban official can earn twenty thousand a month, which number is more ironic – the grain taxes paid under hunger and hardship or the struggles of old age where even buying a bag of rice requires careful consideration?”
He further expressed, “His (Ju Xiaolin’s) grandfather, like millions of other farmers, dedicated their youth and efforts to the country, only to face difficulties in their old age. This is not a flaw in the system but a collapse of values – using farmers as tools to be discarded once exhausted, treating soldiers as expendable commodities.”
His remarks resonated with many, leading to numerous signatures and reposts. Some said, “Retirees should receive equal salaries! Additional bonuses for special contributions can be considered! Seeking legitimate rights is driving social progress.”
Ju Xiaolin, Zhu Jicheng’s grandson, told the media, “Farmers should receive at least 1500 yuan in monthly pension to meet living expenses, as besides daily expenditures, medical costs are also significant at an older age.”
Another citizen from Chongqing, Zhao Liang, known to Ju Xiaolin, stated, “Retired personnel within the system receive over ten thousand yuan in pension per month, enjoying a comfortable retirement. Similarly contributing to the country, some struggle to survive, while others live comfortably. Such disparity reflects the unfairness of the pension system and the debt owed to millions of farmers.”
According to Liu Shijin, former Deputy Director of the Development Research Center of the State Council, retirement pensions for retired personnel in state institutions are around six thousand yuan per month, urban retirees receive about three thousand yuan, while farmers only get two hundred and twenty yuan per month.
Since the establishment of the People’s Republic of China, the industrialization policy and the “scissors difference” policy of low-price acquisition of agricultural products have led to the influx of rural labor into cities to participate in urban construction, thereby propelling the industrialization process through “agriculture supporting industry.”
However, rural laborers have always been at the bottom of society, undertaking the most strenuous, dirty, and dangerous work with long hours and low wages. Furthermore, as migrants, they lack urban hukou (household registration) and social security benefits. When urban residents start reaping the benefits of urban development, migrant workers are often left out. When urbanization slows down, many rural laborers are forced to return home.
Today, rural pensions in various regions of China are generally around two hundred yuan per month, a stark contrast to the levels received by urban workers.