Xiaoqiang's struggle in his daily life

Dreams still seem far out of reach to him

Why stuck at the bottom of the "food chain"

Short-term labour is an incredibly lonely life

Challenges mounting for such workers in China

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 ST's Invisible Asia podcast series:

Channel: https://str.sg/wuZn

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/wu3s

Spotify: https://str.sg/wuJH

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Invisible Asia Videos: https://str.sg/wuTU

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

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:
<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) </li>
<li>He yearns for a better life, doing something different, but his dreams still seem far out of reach to him (3:44) </li>
<li>Why China's rural migrants are stuck at the bottom of the "food chain" (4:51) </li>
<li>With short-term labour romanticised for the "gig worker lifestyle", Xiaoqiang says it's in fact 'an incredibly lonely life' (6:52) </li>
<li>Challenges mounting for such workers in China, and what the government has done to alleviate the problem (7:38) </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 ST's Invisible Asia podcast series:
Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-link="https://str.sg/wuZn" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-style="font-size:13px;color:#1155cc;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;font-family:'Arial';font-style:normal;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;">https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/wu3s">https://str.sg/wu3s</a>
Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/wuJH" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-link="https://str.sg/wuJH" data-sheets-formula-bar-text-style="font-size:13px;color:#1155cc;font-weight:normal;text-decoration:underline;font-family:'Arial';font-style:normal;text-decoration-skip-ink:none;">https://str.sg/wuJH</a>
SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.awedio.sg/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1626404128619000&amp;usg=AFQjCNHDSssxZli9RVXvUhGQgefEXSvPRA">https://www.awedio.sg/</a>
Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1636193968351000&amp;usg=AOvVaw2-SV_Tydir8eZuWRLk6bCe">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a>
Invisible Asia Videos: <a dir="ltr" href="https://str.sg/wuTU">https://str.sg/wuTU</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a> 
The Usual Place: <a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a> 
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a> 
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a> 
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a> 
Health Check: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a> 
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a> 
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a> 
Hard Tackle: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a> 
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a> 
Music Lab: <a href="https://str.sg/w9TX">https://str.sg/w9TX</a> 
---
ST Podcast website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a> 
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a> 
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a> 
Invisible Asia (9 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn">https://str.sg/wuZn</a> 
Stop Scams (10 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a> 
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a> 
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a> 
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>

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.

Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and podcast producer Adam Azlee, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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.
Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and podcast producer Adam Azlee, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Invisible Asia series

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.

Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk

Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and producer Adam Azlee, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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.
Podcasters: Tan Jia Ning, Magdalene Fung and ST Foreign desk
Produced by podcast editor Ernest Luis and producer Adam Azlee, The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Advertisement