Social Stability - 148. page

On November 22, 2010, Xinhua published an analytical article explaining why prices, especially food prices, have been increasing sharply in China. Below are the key points:

China has excess currency. China’s banking system has made 17 trillion yuan in RMB loans since 2008. The broad money supply is approaching 70 trillion yuan. The excess currency in the market leads to excess purchasing power that needs to find investment opportunities. However, the real estate market is now regulated; the stock market is in the recovery stage; and the RMB’s appreciation limits capital outflow.

In addition, the prices of agricultural products have increased in the international market. The prices of bulk raw materials have also increased. This is the result of the United States’ monetary policy and in particular, the second round of quantitative easing, and also from other countries’ loose monetary policies.

Source: Xinhua, November 22, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/herald/2010-11/22/c_13616725.htm

On November 12, 2010, China’s Ministry of the Public Security’s website reported that, on November 9, Zhou Yongkang, the head of China’s Central Political and Legislative Committee, toured Beijing to investigate stability work being done there.

Zhou was very pleased to see strengthened security measures everywhere. Baimiao Village (for example) has implemented community-based management. It has village walls, street gates, guard pavilions, and street surveillance cameras. A 45-person security patrol team guards the village; 36 surveillance cameras with full-time staff on duty 24 hours a day monitors it. The village is also directly connected with a police station. 

“The stability of the capital is related to national stability as the whole,” Zhou said on the Beijing Municipal Forum on the afternoon after the tour.

Source: The Ministry of the Public Security of the PRC, November 12, 2010
http://www.mps.gov.cn/n16/n1237/n1342/n803680/2562872.html

Prominent Chinese human rights lawyer Gao Zhisheng’s whereabouts have remained unknown since his disappearance back in April 2010. On October 21 his brother, accompanied by China rights lawyers Teng Biao and Li Heping, tried to file a missing persons report with the police in Beijing. The police turned them away because “Gao is a special case.” Lawyer Gao previously “disappeared” for over 14 months. Last April, Chinese authorities brought him out briefly, due to international appeals for his release. After that, he “disappeared” again and has remained "disappeared."

Source: New Tang Dynasty TV, October 22, 2010
http://ap.ntdtv.com/news/video/id/37719

On October 13, 2010, People’s Daily published an article on the success of China’s large-scale investigations into and control of conflicts or potential conflicts between ordinary people and those with power or money. The purpose of the investigations is to identify and stop these conflicts and disputes at an early stage and at the grassroots level, under the leadership of the CCP Central Committee, China’s State Council and the CCP Central Political and Law Commission.

The investigations include but are not limited to:

• Monthly investigations at the city and district levels;
• Half-monthly investigations into conflict-prone areas, industries, communities, groups, the countryside, towns, and neighborhoods;
• Daily routine investigations into agencies, organizations, enterprises, and institutes;
• Systematic investigations of the CCP and the government’s major departments;
• Special investigations in a timely manner in certain regions or specific areas where conflicts and disputes tend to happen;
• Organized, focused investigations prior to major events, important festivals or holidays, and socially sensitive days.

Source: People’s Daily, October 13, 2010
http://legal.people.com.cn/GB/12937670.html

According to People’s Daily, one out of every 13 Chinese (for a total of over 100 million people) suffers from mental illness. Less than 20% of them have received professional psychiatric treatment.  

Based on its residential population, Shanghai has increased special funds for mental patients to 3 yuan per person per year, while in Beijing it is less than 1 yuan.

Source: People’s Daily, October 10, 2010
http://scitech.people.com.cn/GB/12909605.html

The China State Bureau of Religious Affairs recently released the Tibetan Buddhist Temple Administration Regulations. The regulations are set to take effect on November 1. Tibetan Buddhism has widespread support across Tibet, Sichuan, Yunnan, Gansu, Qinghai, and Inner Mongolia. According to the head of the State Bureau of Religious Affairs, some temples are “blind" when they determine development goals, and some temple officials are not patriotic.

He claimed that some temples are straying further and further away from the Party and that the Dalai Lama is “using” them. He believes these unwanted activities are having a major negative impact on the “normal religious order.” The regulations detailed the conditions for criminal and civil liabilities, and the restrictions on large scale religious activities.

Source: Xinhua, October 9, 2010
http://news.xinhuanet.com/2010-10/09/c_12641421.htm
China News Service, October 8, 2010
http://www.chinanews.com.cn/gn/2010/10-08/2572913.shtml

On October 4, 2010, a Fujian Province website in China (www.fjsen.com) described how professional telephone curse companies have been appearing on the Internet in China. As long as you pay the company, a professional curser will swear at someone you hate by placing numerous phone calls or text messages. The rate for cursing by phone is 70 Chinese yuan (US $10.47) per day, and the rate for cursing through text messages is 40 Chinese yuan (US $5.99) per day .

Although cursing on behalf of others violates Chinese law, curse companies’ websites are not censored or blocked in China. Their businesses are operated openly and are in high demand. Usually, customers need to book their services 2-3 days in advance. 

Source: www.fjsen.com, October 4, 2010
http://www.fjsen.com/d/2010-10/04/content_3741404.htm

According to a draft by the Guangzhou Public Security Bureau, during the Asian Games, all buyers of kitchen knives and large fruit knives will have to register with their National ID. The registration process also requires that the purpose of the purchase must be entered. Some parts of Guangzhou City have been monitoring the trail of this new policy for some time now. Sellers must comply with the policy as well. Only those authorized by the government can sell kitchen knives. The Public Security Bureau has been sending officers to do random inspections of seller sites. How the knives are carried is also regulated. When appearing in public places, knife owners are required to wrap the knives so that they “cannot hurt other people.”

Source: Guangzhou Daily, September 14, 2010
http://gzdaily.dayoo.com/html/2010-09/14/content_1128532.htm