A Double-edged sword

Xiaojun Huang

ESL 100CE

November 5, 2019

A Double-Edged Sword 

I believe most people know about Xi Jinping who is the chairman of China. Every leader of China has had his trophy projects. One of Xi Jinping’s trophy projects in 2013 is called The Belt and Road in 2013. Some people call it Road Extension as well. The initial goals of the strategy are transferring China’s excess goods and protecting China’s energy. Furthermore, the project is also about making economic cooperation with other countries, strengthening the infrastructure of the roads, and developing the Western Region of China. Therefore, the government wanted to tear down our houses to build the roads. During six months of negotiations, my family decided to leave our hometown to resettle in Dongguan with compensation from the government. Even though it was advantageous to China, it had a “double-edged sword” effect on my family.  

When the government started to carry out The Belt and Road project in 2013, there were more job opportunities. It innovated some industries, and it also promoted the development of the railroad, electricity and engineering machinery. The companies offered more opportunities, so it had a significant influence on unemployed people. Meanwhile, it was much easier to find a job for everyone. The railroad companies hired many unemployed people to be laborers. The unemployed people could also be electric machinists. My father worked in a factory before, but he was laid off in 2010 because of bankruptcy. Therefore, he often hung around the home. However, when my father got a job, he started a new life as a diver. His job was to transfer the excess quality goods to other regions. It made full use of domestic markets. Even though it was not a hard job, I was proud of what my father did. He became ambitious and motivated. His treatment at work became better and better. Gradually, he earned a higher income, and my family had a better quality of life. 

However, there was also a negative influence on my great-grandmother. My great-grandmother was an old fashioned and traditional woman. She regarded her hometown as her roots. Once she left her hometown, she thought she was going soon to meet her ancestors. We tried to explain to her why we needed to leave, but she still thought leaving hometown was a beginning sign of her death. Nevertheless, she was too old to oppose the family’s decision. She moved to Dongguan with us, but she became depressed and often got sick. Dongguan is a modern city. It is filled with tall buildings. It is totally different than my hometown. My great grandmother was too old to adapt to the new environment, and she rejected everything. She started to complain about living in this new place. Most of the time she argued about it with my parents. Moreover, I could hear her mutter in her sleep. Therefore, The Belt and Road caused an unfriendly atmosphere for my family. 

In addition, when my family became well-off, I realized I became a stay-at-home child. Because my parents wanted to make a living, they always worked hard day and night. Moreover, my grandparents lived with my uncle. They could not take care of me most of the time, so it looked like I lived alone. The Belt and Road increased education’s investment. As a result, it was easy for me to pay the university tuition and this meant I had a chance to get a higher education. I could also buy the clothing what I want. I had a better quality of life because my parents got a better job. However, my parents became busier and they spent less time with me. For instance, my parents worked outside, and they always came back home twice a month. Because they worked far away from our house, sometimes they lived in the company’s dormitory. I rarely saw my parents at home, and I became a stay-at-home child and felt lonely.  

In the end, I could not deny the positive effects of the policy on my family, but sometimes the negative effects were inevitable. It was like a double-edged sword. My parents could get a better job and made a better quality of my life, and the tuition was not a big burden for me anymore. The policy promoted the development of the economy, and it made my family wealthy. On the other hand, it caused some bad effects as well. My great-grandmother became depressed, and I became a stay-at-home child. Since I moved to Chicago, I spend more time with my family. I realize if the negative effects are unavoidable, then I just need to reduce the bad effects on us. I have gotten to know more about my parents after moving to Chicago, and I communicate frequently with my family to strengthen our relationship.