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Hundreds of Workers Protested in Qinghai Province

On Monday, February 17, 2014, hundreds of workers from the Xining City Western Mining Company in Qinghai Province rallied in front of their company’s office building demanding that they be paid the dividends for the shares they had invested. Even though the company has made good profits and these workers have been the company’s shareholders for 9 years, they have never received any dividends from the company.  Special policemen cracked down on the protesters at the rally. Many were injured and arrested.

Source: Oriental Daily, February 21, 2014
http://orientaldaily.on.cc/cnt/china_world/20140221/00178_001.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Bird Flu Leads to Shut Down of Live Poultry Markets

As of February 15, 2014, the main district in Hangzhou City, Zhejiang Province, permanently closed its live poultry markets. Starting in July, other main cities in Zhejiang Province will close all live poultry markets as well. As bird flu spreads, there are still 4 million chickens ready for sale in Hangzhou, yet they cannot be sold. The total loss is estimated to be nearly 100 million yuan. About one-third of the poultry businesses in Zhejiang Province faces bankruptcy. The local Hangzhou authorities indicated that frozen poultry businesses will replace the live poultry businesses. 

Source: People’s Daily, February 18, 2014 
http://zj.people.com.cn/n/2014/0218/c186943-20588740.html
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

BBC Chinese: Self-Sufficiency No Longer China’s Food Policy

BBC Chinese recently reported that the Chinese government has changed its tone in newly released official documents, stating that China’s food policy is shifting its focus from quantity to quality. The latest official national economic development blueprints are setting a food production goal that’s way below the domestic consumption level. Due to the rapid growth in population, the government is no longer seeking self-sufficiency in terms of food supply. Food self-sufficiency used to be one of the primary promises that the Chinese Communist Party made to the Chinese people. The policy makers are now paying more attention to food safety and quality. Since 2004, China has been a net food importer. 
Source: BBC Chinese, February 12, 2014
http://www.bbc.co.uk/zhongwen/simp/press_review/2014/02/140212_uk_press.shtml
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

New Forced Labor Camps in Disguise

Beijing News reported that Henan Province has established a few forced labor camps in disguise. People who petition the authorities for redress of grievances are subjected to “24 hour non-stop admonitions, warnings, education, and persuasion.” 

Based on the official websites of local governments in Henan Province, such centers were established under the name of the "Abnormal Petition Admonition Education Center." They were also established in Nanyang, Zhumadian, Dengzhou, Xinxiang, and other places to subject “abnormal petitioners” to “24 hour non-stop admonition, warning, education and persuasion.” 

These centers are located in the local Public Security Bureaus. Local governments fund them in order to “actively explore new ways to centralize the disposal of abnormal petitioners.” Abnormal petitioners may be admonished for an indefinite period of time until the person signs a pledge not to petition again. 

 Source: People’s Daily, February 13, 2014. 
http://politics.people.com.cn/n/2014/0213/c1001-24344121.html

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Jinghua Times: Poultry Industry Wants Bird Flu Notifications to Be Stopped

Jinghua Times, a daily newspaper under the People’s Daily, recently reported that a large number of companies in the poultry industry, especially those in Guangdong and Guangxi Provinces, as well as national associations, have requested the public health authority to stop the per-case notification requirement for H7N9 bird flu. However the government refused the requests citing clear rules defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), of which China is a member. The Chinese poultry industry expressed the belief that the “over reporting” is bringing a massive decline of sales to the industry. Government officials have suggested that the industry should adjust its business model to deliver more frozen products. Some experts suggested that the government should also consider providing financial help to the poultry industry.
Source: Jinghua Times, February 5, 2014
http://epaper.jinghua.cn/html/2014-02/05/content_61951.htm
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Migration Due to Climate Change Is Rising among Wealthy Chinese

Guangming Daily reprinted an article which the Economic Observer had originally published on the increase in migration due to climate change in China, a phenomenon that is expected to have a major impact on China’s future social structure. According to the Blue Book of Global Talent, co-published on January 22, 2014, by the Center for China and Globalization and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, in 2013, the deteriorated environment has been the main reason driving the migration of the elite and the middle class population in China. The article attributed the major cause of the environmental issues to the extensive economic growth, massive urbanization, and the mismanagement of social issues.

The article indicated that, as millions of farmers have moved to the city to seek job opportunities, urban residents have begun to feel uneasy about air pollution, crowded traffic, an increase in living costs, and other living pressure. In the past two years, weather was the most popular topic among the Chinese people. In 2013 large scale grey smog caused frequent red alerts to be issued in regions such as the Yangtze River delta, northeastern China, Beijing, Tianjin and the Shandong region. The first climate change migration started in large size cities two years ago. Migration routes were divided into two areas: to overseas countries for “clean air” or to regions in China that are still less polluted. The article said that the newly migrated population will drive the local economic development in the new regions but it will also cause conflicts with the local residents in the areas of transportation, education, commodity prices, and real estate markets. It may even cause conflicts in culture and social habits. The article pointed out that, “Many local governments are not prepared to face the large inflows of these immigrants.” “They don’t know how to deal with the delicate relationships, which could be a hidden cause for future conflicts.”

Source: Guangming Daily, February 9, 2014
http://edu.gmw.cn/2014-02/09/content_10313690.htm

Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Health Authorities Downplay H7N9 Cases

Xinhua reported that the health authorities in Guangdong Province have beem downplaying information about the H7N9 epidemic. “They no longer actively release case information to the media and case notifications no longer contain the words ‘history of contact with live poultry.’” 

Reports indicate that poultry trade associations in Guangdong Province and Guangxi Province have submitted letters to different levels of the government requesting suspension of regular information release regarding H7N9 so they can avoid over-reporting on the epidemic.” 
According to health authorities, there were 110 confirmed H7N9 cases from January 1 to 28 and 20 fatalities. Most of these cases occurred in Zhejiang Province, Guangdong Province, and Shanghai. 
Source: Xinhua, February 4, 2014 
http://big5.xinhuanet.com/gate/big5/news.xinhuanet.com/local/2014-02/04/c_119212597.htm
Briefings | | |   Social Stability

Buddhist Temples Jack up the Price of the First Incense of the New Year

China News carried an article about a phenomenon that took place on the eve of the Chinese New Year: tens and thousands of people lined up outside of Buddhist temples overnight to fight for the opportunity to burn the first incense while making their New Year wishes. At the same time, the temples grasped at the chance to raise the price. It was reported that, this year, one temple in Zhejiang Province priced the first incense at 118,000 yuan (US $19,470). Due to overcrowding, numerous accidents have occurred each year, causing security concerns. In Yangzhou, Jiangsu Province, the police force was called in to guard people’s safety. The article said that people carry misconceptions and are misled by the belief that the first incense will make their New Year wishes come true.

Source: China News, February 1, 2014
http://finance.chinanews.com/life/2014/02-01/5801751.shtml

Briefings | | |   Social Stability