Public Advocacy Documentary “Unequal Promises”

The motivation of launching this initiative

While working on the previous two projects, I learned that parents in low-income families often face social security issues. In China, many companies cut operational costs by not paying into the social security system for their employees, and large groups of workers—such as labor dispatch workers and gig economy workers like delivery riders—are left with little to no social security coverage. This realization stirred a strong desire in me to understand how ordinary people view China’s current social security system. To explore this, I planned and conducted interviews with individuals from various backgrounds and filmed a documentary to share their perspectives.

What I did

I selected professionals from diverse backgrounds for this project, including employees of publicly listed companies, flexible workers, and recent university graduates engaged in daily-wage work. I also conducted street interviews with a wide range of individuals such as Meituan delivery riders, retirees, restaurant servers, small shop owners, office workers, and middle-aged respondents.

The findings from the documentary

Through these conversations, I uncovered a variety of perspectives. Some interviewees expressed little confidence in the social security system, worrying that they might not receive their pensions in old age. Others, already struggling with low incomes, found it difficult to afford social security payments amid rising contribution rates. There were also those who avoided enrolling in social security to maintain their status as “new graduates,” which is required for certain civil service exams.

Planning and producing this documentary gave me a more comprehensive understanding of the social security system. I came to see that it is not simply a form of protection or a financial burden—behind it lie countless personal stories and complex realities. For the system to earn public trust, it must continue to evolve and address the needs of different segments of society.