The Emergence of Affluence in Beijing: Residential Social Stratification in China's Capital City

Since 1987, the Chinese government has begun to liberalize its approach to land markets, allowing for the development of commercial residential housing and sparking greater distinctions in housing quality. At the same time, there have been growing income differentials among Beijing's residents. This paper discusses how Beijing's new urban affluent have begun to take advantage of greater housing choices. It reports on a survey conducted in 1997 that uncovers the occupational characteristics, consumption patterns, housing characteristics, and residential locations of affluent residents. The results indicate that Beijing's new urban affluent are beginning to share some of the consumption features of middle-class Westerners. At the same time, social segregation is still nascent in Beijing. There is now only a sprinkling of affluent neighborhoods in the city, and a slight majority of wealthier respondents continue to live in public housing. Moreover, few are able to afford detached single-family housing or a private automobile. The continuation of current trends could both deepen and broaden social segregation in Beijing, as class divisions come to be manifested in separate neighborhoods. Key words: socialist cities, affluence, Beijing, housing, social stratification.