China’s penalty for bad debts: no fast trains or flash hotels

Become a delinquent debtor in the people's republic and you can kiss goodbye to taking the fast train anywhere. (Image: Depositphotos)

The Wall Street Journal

Sat, 20 Apr 2024

By Brian Spegele, with assistance from Grace Zhu and Zhao Yueling Qin Huangsheng once imagined a better life in the city when she left her home village to become a factory worker at age 16. Now, in her early 40s, she has US$40,000 (NZ$67,600) in personal debt and a base salary of US$400 a month.Debt collectors are hounding her. She is also blocked from buying tickets on China’s high-speed rail, just one of the penalties the government is increasingly imposing on people who don’t pay their bills.On the ageing slow trains sh...

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