Not Your Average Chinese Worker

NBA player Yao Ming can add a new award to his collection: the title of "vanguard worker." The honor, bestowed every five years upon people whom the Chinese Communist Party believes to be exemplary, selfless workers, has ignited debate over what it means to be a Chinese worker. For many in China, the 7-foot-6-inch (2.28 meter) millionaire does not fit the tradition of blue-collar laborers that have previeously received the award. But over the last two decades of economic reform and meteoric growth, "laboring people have lost their glamor," lamented a Beijing taxi driver. Yao is not the only millionaire on the most recent list, which also includes several wealthy businessmen. "Traditionally, the title was given to workers and farmers," said the owner of a consulting company in Shanghai, "but as the country is developing and entering a new era, it should also be extended to people in other fields who make equally important contributions to development of the society and the country." – YaleGlobal