Wen Throws Support Behind Efforts to Help Child Beggars

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Summary:

Premier Wen of China said on Sunday morning that he would personally take a stand on the omnipresent issue of child beggars in Chinese cities. These children, often vulnerable to abuse and exploitation, are forced onto the streets for a variety of reasons, namely family issues and poverty. Wen said, however, that "none of these children should be without care." The sudden impetus for a call to action came, surprisingly, from the recently ongoing micro blog campaign that calls on concerned Chinese to post pictures of children begging on the streets in hope that the police will respond accordingly. According to Yu Jianrong, the initiator of the online campaign against child beggars, "It is a good thing that the country's top leader has pointed out that helping child beggars cannot be achieved without public participation." The All-China Women's Federation, a group of government officials that promotes the rights of women and children, issued a statement of disapproval toward the child beggars, saying that anybody that exploits these children should be dealt with accordingly. Since its inception in January, the micro blog campaign has gained considerable footholds with charities, celebrities, and other social institutions. It continues to grow and expand its influence.

Significance:

This article pertains to Systems Theory in terms of feedback and inputs. Inputs are defined as the ways that people participate in government. Many Chinese people are voicing their opinions on the volatile topic of child begging by way of the Internet. This can also be seen as feedback in the sense that the Chinese people are demonstrating what they feel is right. Output is not relevant here quite yet because no real public policy changes have yet been made. Although the premier issued his beliefs and opinions on the subject, no real pieces of legislation have been instituted. This issue also brings up the idea of the gap between the rich and the poor in China. Many entrepreneurs and government insiders possess considerable wealth, while many people are so poor that they are forced to send their children to the streets to beg for pocket change. This disparity is manifest in Communist dogma, although this style of government is meant to "provide for all."