The struggle to find a new job each day

Dreams far out of reach

Why China's rural migrants are stuck at bottom of "food chain"

Short-term workers leading a lonely life

What has Chinese government done to alleviate problems

Invisible Asia Ep 2: 'My ambitions are but empty dreams' 

10:25 mins

Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts.

The Straits Times' China correspondent Danson Cheong explores the hardships that short-term labourer Wei Xiaoqiang faces daily. Xiaoqiang is one among China’s 290 million rural migrants who have moved to the big cities to seek a better life.

But a lack of skills has kept such migrants out of most employment opportunities, forcing them into an endless cycle of grabbing whatever temporary jobs are hawked their way, at places such as the Majuqiao labour market in the outskirts of Beijing. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning:
Xiaoqiang on what it's like to have to find a new job each day and struggle to keep up to earn his wages (2:27) 
He yearns for a better life, doing something different, but his dreams still seem far out of reach to him (3:44) 
Why China's rural migrants are stuck at the bottom of the "food chain" (4:51) 
With short-term labour romanticised for the "gig worker lifestyle", Xiaoqiang says it's in fact 'an incredibly lonely life' (6:52) 
Challenges mounting for such workers in China, and what the government has done to alleviate the problem (7:38) 

Read Danson Cheong's story here: https://str.sg/Jj9a

Produced by: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung, Ernest Luis & Adam Azlee

Edited by: Adam Azlee

Discover Invisible Asia Podcast playlist: https://omny.fm/shows/st-bt/playlists/invisible-asia

Discover Invisible Asia Video playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduNKeEL19yhXFVHxGB8X315b

Discover ST & BT podcasts:

Channel: https://str.sg/JWVR

Spotify: https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU

Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP

Google podcasts: http://str.sg/googlestbt

Websites: http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts

https://bt.sg/moneyhacks

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg 

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Discover more niche podcast series by ST and BT below:

Follow BT Money Hacks Podcast on: http://bt.sg/btmoneyhacks

Follow BT Mark To Market Podcast on: http://bt.sg/btmark2mkt

Follow Health Check Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWaN

Follow Green Pulse Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWaf

Follow Asian Insider Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWa7

Follow Lunch With Sumiko Podcast on: https://str.sg/J6hQ

Follow #PopVultures Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWad

Follow Life Weekend Picks Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWa2

Follow #GameOfTwoHalves Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWRE

Follow Bookmark This! Podcast on: https://str.sg/JWas

Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!

#InvisibleAsia

Invisible Asia Ep 2: 'My ambitions are but empty dreams'&nbsp;
10:25 mins
Synopsis: The Invisible Asia Podcast is a special edition series in which The Straits Times casts the spotlight on people and communities living in the shadows of their societies where they exist largely unseen and unheard of. Do follow all nine episodes of Invisible Asia over the next two months on The Straits Times podcast channel on Apple podcasts, Spotify or Google podcasts.
The Straits Times' China correspondent Danson Cheong&nbsp;explores the hardships that short-term labourer Wei Xiaoqiang faces daily. Xiaoqiang is one among China&rsquo;s 290 million rural migrants who have moved to the big cities to seek a better life.
But a lack of skills has kept such migrants out of most employment opportunities, forcing them into an endless cycle of grabbing whatever temporary jobs are hawked their way, at places such as the Majuqiao labour market in the outskirts of Beijing. Our series' narrator is Tan Jia Ning:
<ol>
<li>Xiaoqiang on what it's like to have to find a new job each day and struggle to keep up to earn his wages (2:27)&nbsp;</li>
<li>He yearns for a better life, doing something different, but his dreams still seem far out of reach to him&nbsp;(3:44)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Why China's rural migrants are stuck at the bottom of the "food chain" (4:51)&nbsp;</li>
<li>With short-term labour romanticised for the "gig worker lifestyle", Xiaoqiang says it's in fact 'an incredibly lonely life' (6:52)&nbsp;</li>
<li>Challenges mounting for such workers in China, and what the government has done to alleviate the problem (7:38)&nbsp;</li>
</ol>
Read Danson Cheong's story here: <a href="https://str.sg/Jj9a">https://str.sg/Jj9a</a>
Produced by: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung, Ernest Luis &amp; Adam Azlee
Edited by: Adam Azlee
Discover Invisible Asia Podcast playlist: <a href="https://omny.fm/shows/st-bt/playlists/invisible-asia">https://omny.fm/shows/st-bt/playlists/invisible-asia</a>
Discover Invisible Asia Video playlist: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduNKeEL19yhXFVHxGB8X315b">https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLnK3VE4BKduNKeEL19yhXFVHxGB8X315b</a>
Discover ST &amp; BT podcasts:
Channel:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWVR">https://str.sg/JWVR</a>
Spotify:&nbsp;<a href="https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNE3goVnd7kXZdhGUBsv0tilzvQc5w">https://spoti.fi/2PwZCYU</a>
Apple Podcasts:&nbsp;<a href="https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHg25gDkJn167Fbf-I-qRhDKrKZrQ">https://apple.co/2Lu4rPP</a>
Google podcasts:&nbsp;<a href="http://str.sg/googlestbt" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/googlestbt&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHTAwJU9ckaX5r4SRWmuRkGgVVFBQ">http://str.sg/googlestbt</a>
Websites:&nbsp;<a href="http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNFkQuuxOSaTGtQa1ULD9LO6eFiotA">http://str.sg/stbtpodcasts</a>
<a href="https://bt.sg/moneyhacks" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://bt.sg/moneyhacks&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1593058080836000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHD4ovEIO6tmRhNV15Q4x9YzyJcmA">https://bt.sg/moneyhacks</a>
Feedback to:&nbsp;<a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>&nbsp;
---
Discover more niche podcast series by ST and BT below:
Follow BT Money Hacks Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="http://bt.sg/btmoneyhacks">http://bt.sg/btmoneyhacks</a>
Follow BT Mark To Market Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="http://bt.sg/btmark2mkt">http://bt.sg/btmark2mkt</a>
Follow Health Check Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Follow Green Pulse Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Follow Asian Insider Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Follow Lunch With Sumiko Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/J6hQ" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/J6hQ&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1604121592032000&amp;usg=AFQjCNG83H6KB4Ijg1sND-Ork6G7d7pJQQ">https://str.sg/J6hQ</a>
Follow #PopVultures Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Follow Life Weekend Picks Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWa2">https://str.sg/JWa2</a>
Follow #GameOfTwoHalves Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
Follow Bookmark This! Podcast on:&nbsp;<a href="https://str.sg/JWas">https://str.sg/JWas</a>
Follow our shows then, if you like short, practical podcasts!
#InvisibleAsia

Synopsis: Our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases our discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, money, career, sports, pop culture and music. 

Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST's app, which has a dedicated podcast player section.

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: Our ALL-IN-ONE channel showcases our discussions on Singapore youth perspectives and social issues, geopolitics through an Asian lens, health, climate change, money, career, sports, pop culture and music. 
Follow our shows on your favourite audio apps Apple Podcasts, Spotify or even ST's app, which has a dedicated podcast player section.
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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