Top ten catch phrases in China since 1978 reform

The rapid inflow of investors created many construction, factory and mining jobs, most of which urban dwellers consider too tiring or dirty.

The number of migrants grew from 60 million in 1992 to 120 million in 2003 and 210 million this year, according to central government figures.

The work of the migrant population has generated 21 percent of China's gross domestic product in the past 30 years, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences has found. But migrant workers face various problems, including delayed pay schedules, no or low work-place injury compensation, lack of health care and little schooling for their children.

"It doesn't matter if a cat is black or white, so long as it catches mice."

This sentence was used by late leader Deng Xiaoping, chief architect of China's reform and opening-up, on different occasions to clear up doubts as to whether the economic reform was capitalist or socialist.

The sentence helped stop ideological arguments at the early stage of reform and encouraged generations of Chinese to pursue their dreams in the market economy.