iron rice bowl

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English

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Etymology

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Calque from Chinese 鐵飯碗铁饭碗 (tiěfànwǎn), from (tiě, “iron”) + 飯碗饭碗 (fànwǎn, “rice bowl”).

Noun

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iron rice bowl (plural iron rice bowls)

  1. A guaranteed state job in China that lasts until retirement and pays a pension until death.
    • 2006, John Gittings, “Economics in Command: The modernization of China”, in The Changing Face of China: From Mao to Market[1]:
      Large or small, a state enterprise took care of all the needs of its workers and dependents, providing housing, schools, and health facilities at minimal cost - the so-called "iron rice bowl" which the economic mobilizers said now had to be 'smashed'.

Further reading

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