Educate them and turn people into scientists, engineers, doctors, medical researchers, lawyers, computer programmers, etc?

China's population growth is slowing. Doesn't sound like they'll have the extra people. Better to educate them and move upmarket.

http://www.brookings.edu/research/articles/2010/09/china-pop...

> Doesn't sound like they'll have the extra people.

When automation wipes out 99.99% of jobs, nearly all people will be "extra" people. Globally.

> Any ideas about what China has in mind for those 'millions of low-paid workers'?

I think China is a special case: The legitimacy of the whole political system, not just the current leader, depends on their ability to deliver economic satisfaction to their population. Major dislocations of low-skilled workers who probably lack the wealth or safety net to endure long-term unemployment could be risky.

On the other hand, without political reform how will the masses make their voices heard and have their interests addressed? Chinese leaders have a long history of treating them like chattle, from what I understand.

The same thing that every other nation that used to have armies of low paid workers (e.g. USA, England, Germany, etc, etc) did.

Yes ,but the US and Europe had many decades to go through the cycles. China has a large workforce which would have to find a way to make a living during the economic upheaval.

Beat me to it, this article completely disregards the lost wages for employees. Perhaps China will become the first country to begin wage replacement. As technology, robotics and automation grows, more will find themselves with out jobs and perhaps unable to start anew.

Same way western economies work? Create debt and more debt and base whole economies on sale of houses to one another. When it all fall apart double down