Social Stability - 136. page

On March 30, 2012, People’s Daily published a commentary titled “Let’s be Firm in Making Progress While Maintaining Stability.” It called for stability in the midst of challenges. The article highlighted the central administration’s key focuses for 2012 which are: to be persistent in “making progress while maintaining stability” and to be persistent in “scientific development.” The article then called for the nation to be "clear minded… be firm in our stance… not to be distracted by noise and rumors … and to firmly unite with the central administration” in facing the challenges from the “ever changing international political and economic environment and the constant new developments in domestic economic movements.”

Source: Xinhua, March 31, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-03/31/c_122911503.htm

On March 30, 2012, the spokesperson from the State Internet Information Office reported that 16 websites had been shut down for allegedly fabricating or disseminating online rumors about “Military Vehicles Entering Beijing… Beijing is in trouble.” Those Websites included www.meizhou.net, www.xn528.com/forum-40-1.html, www.dadongyang.com, and www.ezeem.com. Microblog sites on Sina and Ten Cent were given warnings; they were ordered to take additional measures to manage the Internet.

The Beijing Public Security Bureau confirmed that 6 people were arrested for spreading rumors on the Internet. The Security Bureau warned that netizens should “abide by the law, not trust and spread rumors, and be timely in reporting rumors.”

VOA called the arrests Beijing’s revenge. Based on the comments it gathered from the media scholars outside of China, China’s media control is far from opening up.

Source: Xinhua, March 30, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2012-03/30/c_122911337.htm
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2012-03/30/c_122911330.htm
Voice of America, March 31, 2012
http://www.voanews.com/chinese/news/20120331-China-Cracks-Down-on-Websites-145377595.html

The Chinese Luxury Consumer White Paper 2012, a joint study done by China’s Industrial Bank and the Hurun Research Institute, was published on March 27, 2012. The study revealed that the number of China’s wealthiest individuals, those with net assets of over six million yuan (~US$1.0 million) has increased to 2.7 million; their average age was 39 years old. The number of those with more than 100 million yuan (~US$16 million) reached 63,500; their average age was 41 years old. Among them, 85 percent plan to send their children overseas for education; 90 percent of the super rich (billionaires) plan to do so.

Source: People’s Daily, March 28, 2012.                                                                                         http://finance.people.com.cn/GB/17515451.html

Following the conclusion of the Two Conferences (the National People’s Congress and the Chinese Political Consultative Conference), China Youth Daily Social Investigation Center conducted a survey involving 2,412 people, 38.9 percent of whom were born in the 1970s and 24.2 percent of whom were born in the 1980s.

The survey showed that 88.2 percent wished that their representatives would regularly perform their roles. Of those surveyed, 95 percent stated they don’t know their local representatives’ contact information; 76.1 percent wanted to have their representatives’ contact information so they could raise issues and make suggestions; 91.2 percent wanted it to be mandatory for the representatives’ contact information to be  publicly accessible; 88.3 percent wanted their representatives to take more responsibility and not just attend the “Two Conferences.” Out of this group, 68.4 percent felt "quite strongly" about it.

As to the specific actions that they wanted their representatives to perform, they are ranked as follows: supervising government work (88.5 percent), gathering public opinion (86.8 percent), and raising concerns on behalf of the general public (81 percent).

Source: Xinhua, March 20, 2012
http://news.xinhuanet.com/society/2012-03/20/c_122855107.htm

According to Hong Kong’s Apple Daily, tens of thousands of villagers from the town of Ying Ge Hai in Hainan Province marched on the streets on March 10, 2010, to stop the opening ceremony of a thermal power station. Ying Ge Hai is famous for its salt fields and its fishing industry. These are the major sources of income for at least 20,000 villagers. Fearing the environmental and air pollution to the area, the villagers have resisted the power plant proposal since last December. However, the authorities have still gone ahead with the plan. On Saturday March 10, the protesters marched to the village office building and demanded that the authorities cancel the opening ceremony. The police force was on the scene and used tear gas to stop the protesters from entering the building. The police besieged and blockaded the entire village, arresting at least 20 protesters. The related online postings were taken down almost as soon as they were posted.

Source: Wen Xue City, March 12, 2012
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2012/03/12/1675489.html

On February 25, 2012, China’s Ministry of Health issued a press release rebutting online blogs about suspected SARS patients in a military hospital. According to Internet blogs, there are about 300 soldiers currently undergoing treatment in isolation in the No. 252 military hospital in Baoding, Hebei. They are being treated for a mysterious respiratory syndrome with symptoms that include a continued high fever. The press release from the Ministry of Health stated that the outbreak is the result of a Type 55 adenovirus respiratory infection, that none of the patients are critically ill, and that no deaths have occurred. The release said that, after applying several types of treatment, the outbreak has been effectively controlled.

Source: Ministry of Health of China, February 25, 2012
http://www.moh.gov.cn/publicfiles/business/htmlfiles/mohwsyjbgs/s3578/201202/54205.htm

According to the Hong Kong based Information Center for Human Rights & Democracy, approximately 1,500 riot police under the direct command of the Central Military Commission of the Communist Party were sent from Laiyang, Hunan Province, to Chongqing, Sichuan Province. Wang Lijun, the former police chief and Vice Mayor of Chongqing, who used to lead the Chongqing riot police, is currently under arrest and is being investigated in Beijing. Officials from the local State Security Department and the Chongqing Riot Police are also being investigated. It was reported that the Communist leaders are concerned that in times of riots, the Chongqing riot police might not follow orders. Hence the Hunan riot police have been moved and are stationed in Chongqing as a precaution.

Source: Information Center for Human Rights & Democracy, February 24, 2012
http://www.hkhkhk.com/

On February 16, 2012，People’s Daily reported that the demand for organ transplants far exceeds the supply。 According to Statistics from the Chinese Ministry of Health，1.5 million patients need organ transplants due to end stage organ failure, but only about 10,000 people will be able to complete organ transplantation because the ratio of organ demand to supply is 150 to 1.

The report further explained that the main reason for the extreme organ shortage is due to the extremely low donation rate. In China, the number of “organ donations after death” was still zero in 2003. After many years of effort, the donation rate is now 0.03 per one million people.

Source: People’s Daily, February 16, 2012
http://society.people.com.cn/GB/136657/17126119.html