Social Stability - 118. page

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.” 

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

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.’” 

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

VOA reported that, according to the results of a survey that The Daily Telegraph published, the number of postings on microblogs dropped 70 percent from 2011 to 2013. VOA stated that the Information Technology Institute of East China Normal University conducted the research at the request of The Daily Telegraph. They analyzed the usage information of 1.6 million microblog users from 2011 to 2013. The information revealed that, before March 2012, these users posted 83 million blogs each day. However, after the real name registration system was adopted in that same month, the number of postings dropped by at least 50 percent. The number dropped further again after a few well known bloggers were arrested.

Source: Voice of America, January 31, 2014

http://www.voachinese.com/content/china-crack-down-cut-weibo-traffic-20140131/1842253.html 

In spite of China’s rapid economic development, the number of officially designated poor counties in China has increased from 331 in 1986 to 592. Counties that are designated as poor each receive subsidies from the central government of between 30 and 50 million yuan every year. 

On January 29, New Epoch, a weekly in Chinese, published its forecast for the Chinese year of Horse. The Chinese year of Horse starts on January 31, 2014.