Editor’s note: The sex worker industry has been a hot topic in the news in recent months with all the raids taking place, most notably in Dongguan, as part of a nation-wide crack down. In this translated article published on wenxuecity.com, the author looks at Pan Suiming’s (also largely cited in this article) 12 year study on the prostitution industry in China and comes up with some bold conclusions.
Source: Chris
The background
According to an investigation by Pan Suiming (潘绥铭), nicknamed the “godfather of Chinese sexology,” most Chinese involved in sex work perform voluntarily and are not victims of human trafficking. In all of China, about three million people provide sexual services for a living. Average income across the industry is generally quite high, therefore most workers are voluntary rather than forced. Some local governments, in pursuit of a higher GDP, even set up free zones in which the government and police turn a blind eye to prostitution and sex work. Governments, therefore, often rely on the erotic economy in order to generate income.
From 1998 to 2010, Pan Suiming visited 13 locations throughout mainland China and met with over a thousand young women working in the sex trade. According to the Southern People Weekly, while Pan cannot remember each face, he still recalls their stories and kept a journal to record each woman’s experience.
How do women come to engage in the sex trade?
According to Pan’s investigation, there have been fewer and fewer cases of sex trafficking and forced sex work in recent years. When he interviewed women in Dongguan he did not encounter one case of trafficking and noted that sex workers were recruited by ads for waitresses, karaoke girls, singers and servers. If a girl did not understand the underlying meaning behind such an ad, and came in for an interview, she would try to discern whether or not the job was “clean” and would only take the job if it seemed legitimate. During the interview, if the boss asked her to eat dinner with him, or to buy new clothes for the job then she would know that the job was not “clean” and decide her next move from there.
On the first day on the job, the woman would begin work as a waitress and then get “educated.” She looks at the other women working with her. What are they wearing? What do they eat? She earns about 100 RMB a month and looks to see how much other women earn. Is their money clean or not? If she’d rather do a job that is unclean than starve to death, she goes into sex work in order to eat, buy clothes and live. If she refuses and will only do clean work, then she will leave and go somewhere else.
If she stays then she will quickly earn more money, especially if it is her first time and she advertises herself as a virgin she can earn up to 5,000 RMB. Think about it, if a woman earns about 2,000 RMB a month that is two and half months pay. Pan Suiming said that before he came to Sichuan he did not know about girls advertising themselves as virgins, but it is more popular in agricultural based farming communities.
Income and the economy
Looking at potential income, in Dongguan, even if a woman only works two nights with one guest every month she is guaranteed a salary of 3,000 RMB per month. In Beijing, it would be about 5,000 RMB a month, which is more than the average monthly salary of about 3,000 RMB.
According to Pan’s survey, over three million women in China work in the sex trade. He said he was able to estimate this figure because, out of the total population, he knew how many men visited prostitutes or sex workers and also knew how many guests each woman had every day on average.
Women in the sex trade not only make money for themselves but also boost the invisible underground economy. Pan researched and investigated 11 different development zones in Sichuan. Each one had a red-light district.
A local major spoke to Pan on the topic, “We go eat dinner at these places and the meals are made by the women.” He said that because of the women in the sex industry, the farming industry is able to survive and other industries are able to thrive.
Source: wenxuecity.com
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Keywords: China’s Godfather of Sexology Prostitution in China
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I suppose you could argue that Chinese sex workers are critical to the economy of most western countries, because many factory workers making export products are supplementing their income by offering the use of their body after work. They wouldn't be able to do this, and support their families in a manner that would allow Chinese factories to retain business, given inflation.
May 23, 2014 15:20 Report Abuse
We cant blame to anyone else, prostitution is a social issue. we need to finished it up by make free education to common person to build up mental level in society.
May 13, 2014 02:16 Report Abuse
Another "piss-poor" written article. When are they going to hire some talented editors. The stories have legs, but are written short of readers expectations. Including a lot of grammatical mistakes. Honestly I can'y understand the main point on many of the paragraphs.
May 11, 2014 13:30 Report Abuse
funny thing is that prostitution has always been legal until 1949
May 02, 2014 19:17 Report Abuse
Prostitution is the oldest "profession" of the human history and it will always exist. The matter is how the people and Government want to handle it, discriminate with all the risks regarding the deseases involved and black dealing market which might create slaves or under law control which perhaps provides safety for both sides.
Apr 18, 2014 09:42 Report Abuse
Not getting paid or did anyone pay for the first advertising? Take a look on this: http://www.slate.com/articles/news_and_politics/explainer/2012/03/rush_limbaugh_calls_sandra_fluke_a_prostitute_is_prostitution_really_the_world_s_oldest_profession_.html Even monkeys trade things for sex on their whole existence, perhaps they need to do advertising first... :)
Apr 19, 2014 10:55 Report Abuse
two thumbs down for advertising as the oldest profession, ha ha. Well it is true! How is one suppose to attract customers? Exactly my point, i win!
Mar 31, 2016 14:40 Report Abuse
Yes I wonder if he gets a discount from the girls because of his extensive knowledge.
Apr 17, 2014 21:00 Report Abuse
lol, sounds like a self-proclaimed title that Stiffler in American Pie would come up for himself (but this Chinese guy is serious about it). Say this out loud to yourself "I am the Godfather of Sexology". You feel like a dumb ass after just saying it out loud don't you?
Apr 18, 2014 12:00 Report Abuse
this appears to be trying to normalise prostitution. Due to the great imbalance of the one-child policy there are millions of men who will never have a wife. What to do but tell women that all they are good for is working in the sex industry if they want easy financial rewards. This will undermine any notions of equality they might demand. Women are not people, but a 'service' to men who will pay for them. Then there is the issue of Health. Sex-education here is next to non-existent. we are all aware of health risks in terms of STD's, but the average Chinese person isn't.
Apr 17, 2014 17:33 Report Abuse
I agree with you. Everything seems like a commodity to be bought and sold. Prostitution is a short term business of a payment for services. And marriage seems to be the same thing- a long term business deal with a baby and in-laws thrown into the package.
Apr 17, 2014 18:17 Report Abuse
Is this some form of promotion of prostitution? Isn't China shady enough as it is?
Apr 17, 2014 16:04 Report Abuse
I totally share your sentiment, but I question whether that's actually the motivation the government has, or the penultimate goal behind this. Chinese have never had a history of caring for people's rights, be they poor, women, workers or whatever. There's also plenty of unversity beauty pageants nowadays, and older businessmen having their way with greedy university girls is a serious problem that is getting no attention at all. Long story short: I think China is breeding an underclass of prostitutes for the entertainment of the wealthy, and since I come from a lower-class background myself, I see a serious problem with that. I'm not from America either, so stripclubs aren't that normal for me, and I wouldn't want them to be.
Apr 17, 2014 17:16 Report Abuse
Didn't there used to be prostitute industry for the elite in China in the past? Are they just claiming what 5000 years of history and the like created
Apr 17, 2014 19:33 Report Abuse
I do not treat prostitutes badly. I just think it is bad "career" choice.
Apr 18, 2014 10:27 Report Abuse
Prostitution is a social issue, easy to see on poverty areas, while the girls can have the same money income in one day as working on industry regular job the whole month it will be still attractive to have this lifestyle. Good education is also very important and specially when it comes from family.
Apr 17, 2014 11:27 Report Abuse
Illegal prostitution can easily turn dark. In places it is legal and accepted it isn't about poverty. It is about someone who decides it is a way to make money and even a living. It is a lot about entertaining, less work than the 9 - 5 whoring of the mind and the pay is good for them. The customers treat them well because if they don't they will be arrested for abuse.
Apr 17, 2014 11:39 Report Abuse