A spate of sexual assaults in Chinese cities are among the “social consequences caused by the suppressed needs of migrant workers” according to a report in the China Daily, whose pages have of late shown a marked increase in stories about human sexuality and changing social mores.

Not just the so-called “three problems of agriculture” (三农) but as many as seven rural conundrums are explored candidly by a senior government researcher in a report that summarises the findings of recent fieldwork and is published in a new, English language magazine, China Economist.

Seven Issues Directly Affecting Farmers’ Interests is written by the Director of the State Council Development Research Centre’s Rural Economy Department, Han Jun (韩俊), who pulls few punches during a frank discussion of education and health financing, land requisition, rural infrastructure, migration, farm credit, and farmers’ lack of bargaining power.

An official spokesman’s stout defense of rising inequality in educational opportunity “has triggered a wide and fierce debate in society” according to the English language magazine, Beijing Review.

“It is natural that not everyone can afford excellent education resources. It is like shopping for clothing. A well-off man can go to a brand-name store to buy a 10,000 yuan suit, while a poor person can buy a 100 yuan suit from a vendor,” the state-run news magazine quotes Ministry of Education spokesperson, Wang Xuming, as saying in March.