China is neatly-known, even unfavorable, for onerous graft. Prodigious amounts of toil and elbow grease helped the country turn into the workshop of the sector. More than 175m migrant workers labour in cities removed from home, usually leaving their kids within the care of kinfolk. And the sacrifices are now no longer confined to the heart-broken. Even about a of China’s extra sophisticated firms are known for their “996” region of enterprise culture, encouraging heart-broken workers to work from 9am to 9pm, six days per week.

This article appeared within the Finance & economics share of the print edition below the headline “Lying flat”