In 2012, the degree of urbanisation in China exceeded the 50 per cent mark for the first time. This influx of the population into cities is considered politically desirable; the Communist Party of China (CPC) has promised it will have positive effects on economic growth. By 2030, an estimated 70 per cent of the Chinese population will live in cities. This is indicative of a social transformation taking place at a speed and to an extent the world has never before seen.