China’s ghost towns are the legacy of a history of corruption that goes back thousands of years. The only cure for this blight and other problems is democracy and the rule of law. Democracy and the rule of law are the natural enemies of despotism and corruption, with tools like separation of powers and checks and balances at all levels of the central and provincial levels of China's government and direct election of the heads of the legislative, executive, judicial and procuratorial branches. See the Charter for Permanent Peace and Development / Global Unity Constitutional Standards.