Over the past month, Chinese social media platforms like Xiaohongshu and Bilibili have begun dismantling the myth of the “American dream,” replacing glossy imagery with firsthand accounts showing that life in the so-called “land of the free” is far from bright and picturesque. In its place, a new concept has emerged, borrowed from video games, when a character’s health drops so low that a single hit can end everything. It’s called the “kill line,” and the term has rapidly entered mainstream political discussion in China.
By Megan Russell
The “kill line” describes the fragile margin of survival in the lives of many Americans, where one medical emergency, job loss, or unexpected expense can push a person into homelessness or permanent poverty. This precarious balance is a constant threat embedded in the structure of a society that prioritizes profit over people. One mistake, one illness, or one stroke of bad luck can place someone’s entire life in jeopardy.
Social media figures such as Boston Round Face have documented these stark realities and shared them with millions of Chinese netizens: people selling parts of themselves just to survive, donating blood plasma to pay rent, living in rows of tents on the street, working multiple jobs, and still falling behind. How many are forced into these choices just to stay afloat? How many unhoused people die each year, their names forgotten, lost in a system that discards those it no longer finds useful?
For many in China, these stories come as a shock. They are only now beginning to see that the world’s wealthiest nation is not the land of opportunity it claims to be, but a society where millions live permanently one step away from collapse.
The Contrast: China’s Poverty Alleviation Miracle
The Chinese people are no strangers to poverty. Many still alive today have witnessed their country’s transformation from widespread rural deprivation to one of the most dramatic development stories in modern history. Over the past few decades, the Chinese government has lifted more than 800 million people out of extreme poverty, an achievement that international institutions have described as the greatest poverty alleviation achievement in human history.
Today, the Chinese people enjoy near-universal health insurance, with doctor visits often costing no more than a New York subway ride. Major medical expenses are covered through a simple national insurance system, shielding families from financial ruin due to illness. China also has one of the highest homeownership rates in the world, with more than 90% of households owning their homes.
Healthy life expectancy in China now exceeds that of the United States by four years (68.6 compared to 64.4). The country’s incarceration rate is 80% lower than that of the U.S. and 32% below the global average. Meanwhile, public satisfaction with the Chinese government consistently exceeds 90%, far higher than in the United States. These statistics reveal the results of deliberate policies and a social system designed to prioritize people’s well-being.
So how has China done it?
To start, in China, “extreme poverty” is defined not simply by income. Instead, it’s defined by whether people can live with basic dignity and security. According to standards outlined by the State Council, a household can only be removed from the poverty register if its income stably exceeded the national poverty line and its members had guaranteed access to food, clothing, education, and healthcare. Poverty status is verified through a multilayered public process involving village committees, local residents, and Communist Party working groups, with results posted publicly for review. Entire villages and counties are evaluated based on poverty rates, infrastructure, public services, and economic development, and are subject to inspections and audits at multiple government levels. The system is remarkable in its transparency and emphasis on real living conditions, making poverty alleviation concrete and measurable.
In contrast, the United States defines poverty almost entirely through income thresholds that bear little relationship to real living conditions. The federal poverty line does not account for regional housing costs, medical debt, childcare, or student loans, and it offers no guarantee of access to healthcare, stable housing, or education. As a result, millions of Americans are officially considered “above poverty” while still unable to afford rent, medical treatment, or basic necessities. Unlike China’s multilayered system of public verification and government accountability, poverty in the U.S. is treated largely as an individual failure rather than a structural problem. So if you fall into homelessness, the blame is on you, not the system that put you there.
At the same time, the United States pours vast resources into military expansion and foreign intervention, largely benefiting political and corporate elites. Profit is prioritized over public well-being, while force is used to manage social unrest. In China, stability is pursued through improving living standards by investing in healthcare, housing, and education. Rather than ruling through fear and deprivation, social stability is achieved by meeting people’s basic needs and giving them a stake in society.
We Need Cooperation, Not Censorship
Instead of learning from China’s successes, the U.S. government has resorted to widespread censorship to keep the public in the dark. Even the PBS documentary, Voices from the Frontline: China’s War on Poverty, was suppressed by U.S. politicians because it “made China look too good.” So instead of critical discussion, these important achievements are swept under the rug, and the American people are kept trapped in a system of ignorance and suppression.
The simple fact is, China’s poverty alleviation success is nothing short of a miracle. And in today’s age of deepening global inequality, we cannot afford to continue ignoring methods proven capable of producing real, large-scale improvements in people’s lives. The only way forward is global cooperation, and the first step to cooperation is to stop suppressing the facts. The myth of the “American Dream” must be put to rest, and the systemic fragility it conceals must finally be addressed.
We need to stop funneling vast resources into military expansion and foreign intervention. We need to prioritize the needs of the people over the profits of the elite. We need to end preparations for a war on China and the propaganda campaigns that justify it. Most importantly, we need the United States, China, and the rest of the world to work together to end global inequality and ensure a just and sustainable future for all. If this does not happen, we will all face the consequences.
Megan Russell is CODEPINK’s China is Not Our Enemy Campaign Coordinator. She graduated from the London School of Economics with a Master’s Degree in Conflict Studies. Prior to that, she attended NYU where she studied Conflict, Culture, and International Law. Megan spent one year studying in Shanghai, and over eight years studying Chinese Mandarin. Her research focuses on the intersection between US-China affairs, peacebuilding, and international development.
