Chinese 'kill line' for urban destitution

A 'kill line' is a systemic threshold where slowdowns in growth, rapid urbanization, and retrenchment of social assistance combine so that large numbers of urban residents — second‑generation city dwellers, landless farmers, and migrant workers — are pushed into effectively irreversible destitution by ordinary shocks (illness, job loss, repairs). Yang notes sharply reduced dibao coverage (23.5M urban recipients in 2009 → 6.25M in 2024) and scarce shelter/rehab options as key mechanisms creating this threshold. — If real, such a threshold transforms poverty from an individual misfortune into a governance risk that can destabilize urban politics, constrain growth policy, and force difficult redistribution or repression choices at national and local levels.