BEIJING (AP) — The discovery in England of the bodies of 39 people believed to be from China lays bare some crucial but sometimes overlooked facts about China's development as a rising global power that has elevated hundreds of millions of its citizens to the middle classes.

Much of China remains relatively poor, and economic growth has created vast disparities that fuel the desire among many to seek a better life abroad.

Most Chinese migrants come from the country's southeast, specifically a handful of counties in the coastal province of Fujian that have a long history of sending people abroad to work in restaurants, factories and agriculture.

While an aging population and higher technology industries boost demand for workers, those without skills often find themselves shut out of the labor market.