Social Stability - 154. page

Radio Free Asia reported that a Zhengzhou city newspaper in Henan province published an investigative report which has given rise to Chinese Internet user’s newest tongue-in-cheek catchphrase: “Are you a Party member?” According to the article, entitled “Dog Management Office Manages Nothing But Only Collects Money,” a reporter asked Wang Ping, the Director of Zhengzhou City Dog Management Office, the whereabouts of 12 million yuan in management fees and also hoped that he could release the relevant financial accounts to the public. Wang let the journalist directly question the Financial Bureau. However, a person in charge at the Financial Bureau inexplicably responded to the reporter, “Are you a Party member?” The implication — that the reporter has no right to ask the Financial Bureau officer the whereabouts of the 12 million yuan if he is not a Party member – is now the target of biting criticism from Internet users.

Source: Radio Free Asia, November 7, 2009
http://www.rfa.org/mandarin/yataibaodao/wang-11062009214733.html

After mobilizing 1,200 tax drivers to participate in public security, the authority of Changsha, the capital city of Hunan Province, decided on October 30 to expand the network by “assimilating 5,300 public transportation employees, environment workers, and postmen into the troops of ‘Volunteers for Safety,’ assisting the police to combat criminal activities.”

The decision was reportedly based on the nature of the three professions, which require close and constant contact with the population at the street and neighborhood level. The city government will coordinate with the employers of the participants for their pay and an offer extra bonus for their “outstanding contributions.”

Source: Xinhua, November 1, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-11/01/content_12368980.htm

Professor Chen Hongtai, expert at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences. suggested that corruption is not today’s biggest problem in China’s universities. Excessive academic administration, bureaucratization and profit-chasing are the main threats. Chen called for safeguarding the domain of higher education as a “pure land,” where professors should take responsibility for exercising their conscience with regard to society’s future generations.

Source: Global Times, October 15, 2009.
http://china.huanqiu.com/roll/2009-10/604130.html 

By 1999, Chinese society had entered an aging era when people older than 60 years old made up 10% of the entire population. Ten years later, this figure increased to 12.79 % of the populion, which represents 169 million people.The Ministry of Civil Affairs stated a belief that “China is rushing into an aging society at a speed that is exceeding our imagination.” It was suggested that over the next 25 years, China should be getting ready to develop a strategy to deal with this issue. Development plans, laws and regulations, social and economic policy adjustments – all need to be prepared.

Source: Xinhua, October 26, 2009.
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-10/26/content_12328694.htm

Beijing has initiated a first-class patrol program which includes over 7000 policemen and more than 3000 auxiliary police mobilized into vehicle patrols, bike patrols, foot patrols, and dog patrols, according to Beijing Evening News on September 23rd, 2009.

Hundreds of Beijing entrances are strictly controlled. Suspicious persons, vehicles, and dangerous goods are all checked, one by one. Beijing police require residents to carry their IDs with them and to cooperate with police inquiries and checks.

Source: Beijing Evening News, September 23, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/legal/2009-09/23/content_12102341.htm

According to Xinhua, Shanxi Province has made the decision that any unexpected incidents must be reported to the Provincial Party Committee within two hours. If it is a big incident, the reporting time must not exceed one hour.

At the same time, Taiyuan Municipality has made a clear requirement that the heads of on-duty departments at all levels must have their telephones on 24 hours a day so as to prevent any incident caused by an illegal organization, a cult organization, or by ethnic and religious sensitive issues.

Source: Xinhua, September 22, 2009
http://www.sx.xinhuanet.com/newscenter/2009-09/22/content_17765689.htm

Xinhua reported that, to be in sync with the communist regime’s national day celebration security plan, Beijing initiated full-scale police monitoring of the public transportation system, including commuter buses, commuter trains, long-distance buses between Beijing and other provinces, taxies, and rental buses. Uniformed police rode along buses and took up each and every train station. Companies and organizations also provided 15,000 volunteers to prevent any unexpected and objectionable incident as well as to maintain control over the public transportation system.

During the last week, 7.3 million people and 7 million bags and other items were searched.

Source: Xinhua, September 24, 2009
http://news.xinhuanet.com/politics/2009-09/24/content_12107824.htm

In order to prevent theft and other crimes from happening, the Xi’an Party Committee and the government decided to install these monitoring systems on more than 4,400 public transportation vehicles. Meanwhile, it is also considered a measure to ensure social stability during the 60th Anniversary celebrations. This is part of a larger Public Transportation Technological Safeguard System. The system is a required element to protect public safety.

Source: China Economy Net, September 23, 2009.
http://www.ce.cn/xwzx/gnsz/gdxw/200909/23/t20090923_20081637.shtml