China Changes 'Homeless Beggars' to 'Dispersed Individuals,' Provoking Public Ridicule

(Taipei, April 25, Central News Agency) Chinese National People's Congress Standing Committee officials said yesterday that the draft 'Social Assistance Law' would revise the term 'homeless beggars' to 'dispersed individuals,' stating that the number of homeless beggars has significantly decreased, with most now being 'temporarily distressed individuals.' The news immediately sparked widespread ridicule on Chinese social media; many netizens sarcastically suggested that 'people waiting to become rich' would be a more fitting term.

After the establishment of the Communist regime, vagrants from rural areas flowing into cities were subject to forced detention and repatriation, referred to as 'blind flow' (blindly flowing into cities from rural areas). In 1982, China's State Council promulgated the 'Measures for the Detention and Repatriation of Urban Homeless Beggars,' defining vagrants as 'homeless beggars,' a term that has been in use until now.

According to Interface News, a mainland Chinese media outlet, Shi Chunfeng, spokesperson for the Legislative Affairs Commission of the National People's Congress Standing Committee, held a press conference on April 24, stating that the 22nd session of the National People's Congress Standing Committee would be held in Beijing from April 27 to 30. The draft 'Social Assistance Law' will be submitted for its third review.

He stated that, based on various opinions and in the spirit of 'fully demonstrating the warmth of the rule of law and allowing the most vulnerable groups to share the fruits of reform and development,' the third draft of the bill intends to, building on the clarified responsibilities of government social assistance, 'help socially assisted individuals with labor capacity to leverage their initiative, stipulating that governments at all levels should take measures to encourage, support, and guide socially assisted individuals with labor capacity to be self-reliant and escape hardship.'

Shi Chunfeng claimed that with the comprehensive building of a moderately prosperous society and the deep advancement of Chinese-style modernization, the number of 'homeless beggars' in China has 'decreased year by year and significantly reduced.' Currently, the objects of assistance for relevant relief management agencies are mainly 'temporarily distressed individuals' who are lost or temporarily unemployed.

He claimed that according to the actual development and changes in China's social assistance work, the draft revises the term 'homeless beggars' to 'dispersed individuals,' which is more accurate, neutral, and concise. This revision does not involve adjusting the content of this assistance system and does not affect the normal and orderly conduct of relevant assistance work.

According to the report, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs stated in June 2025 that with economic and social development and the comprehensive completion of poverty alleviation, many new changes have occurred in relief management services. Traditional homeless beggars have gradually decreased, and temporarily distressed individuals have become the main service objects. In the past year, civil affairs departments and relief management agencies assisted a total of 709,000 temporarily distressed individuals, and in 2024, helped 4,051 lost individuals return home.

On December 31, 2025, China's Ministry of Civil Affairs released data stating that 625,000 homeless and other individuals without means of livelihood were assisted that year.

Behind the official figures, however, is China's weak domestic economy and severe employment situation. Footage constantly circulating on social media shows large numbers of migrant workers pouring into cities, unable to find jobs for extended periods, and sleeping on the streets as vagrants.

The news that 'homeless beggars' was changed to 'dispersed individuals' sparked widespread ridicule on Chinese social media. In the relevant topic discussion area on Weibo, many netizens sarcastically commented, 'Changing it to 'people waiting to become rich' would be more fitting'; 'Using 'waiting to be rich' sounds more grand.'

Other netizens described it as 'one dispersal solves a thousand beggars'; 'with this change, there will be no beggars in the world anymore, how high-minded'; ridiculing officials for their 'ability to choose words and phrases, truly far ahead,' and that 'the profoundness of Chinese characters is all used in such matters,' and 'from now on, the number of homeless beggars will be zero.'

Many netizens also mentioned that China now has no unemployment, no waiting for employment, only 'flexible employment.' (Editors: Yang Sheng-ju / Chen Yen-chun) 1150425

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