The discovery of 39 bodies believed to be Chinese nationals in a truck in Britain is a stark reminder that many in the world's second biggest economy will still take perilous journeys to build a life elsewhere.
Chinese people expressed shock at the news that the victims found in a refrigerated container near London on Wednesday could be their compatriots.
A decades-long economic boom pulled millions of people out of poverty and turned hundreds into billionaires, but the wealth has yet to reach all corners of China and thousands still seek opportunities abroad.
While little is yet known about the case, it has echoes of another tragedy in 2000, when 58 Chinese immigrants were discovered dead in a Dutch truck in the English port of Dover.
"On a daily basis, people from China are being smuggled and trafficked all over the world," said Matt Friedman, a human trafficking expert at The Mekong Club, an NGO which battles against modern slavery.
According to a 2018 British government report, China is the fourth most common country of origin for potential victims, up from fifth the previous year.
Friedman said those targeted by people traffickers in China are often "not the poorest of poor people" but those struggling to find the work they need at home, while the agent – often from the same community – convinces them they can earn more overseas.
"'Maybe I can get more if I buy into what this person... is telling me'," he said. "And as a result of that, you have people who get tricked and deceived into taking these trips, only to come to realise that maybe they made a mistake.
"But once they're on the journey, there's not much you can do about it."