Social Stability - 93. page

Major Taiwanese news network Liberty Times Network (LTN) recently reported that the well-known freedom monitoring agency Freedom House just released its 2018 Freedom in the World report. Among 195 countries/regions, 88 were classified as “free nations.” However, the report indicated that the global degree of freedom has suffered a 12-year decline. With the full score of 100 points, Taiwan obtained 93 points, which is an increase of 2 points from last year. Japan scored 96 points and South Korea scored 84. According to the report, Russia got a score of 20, and Mainland China got only 14, which was even one point less than last year. The report indicated that the non-democratic nations are taking advantage of the weakened global trend to influence the international community. China even declared that it is showing the developing countries a “new road.” It appears China is seeking a true leadership role in the world. Signs are now visible that China is actively interfering with domestic politics in countries such as Australia and New Zealand.

Source: LTN, January 16, 2018
http://news.ltn.com.tw/news/world/breakingnews/2313741

Beijing earlier conducted an extensive security risk investigation, forcing a large number of its low-end population to move out of the city. The activity caused an uproar in Chinese society and around the world because of the government-led violation of human rights. While the initial reaction is cooling down, the government is continuing to drive the so called low end population out of the capital city.

At the end of last month, in Yanjiao Town, Sanhe City of Hebei Province, which a just a river apart from Tongzhou, the satellite capital of Beijing, the Hebei authorities repeated the closing down of a large number of grassroots businesses and rental properties following the expulsion of a large number of low-end migrant workers. Vendors up to several kilometers along the main avenues and streets have been impacted. A joint law enforcement team composed of seven departments including public security, fire control, and urban management closed down and put a seal on those vendors and rental properties.

The staff of the government office in Sanhe City said it was unclear when the action would end and when the sealed houses would reopen. The local authorities hope that when the locals are ready to go to their homes for the Spring Festival, they will completely remove their work and living fundamentals in the area so they are prevented from coming back after the Spring Festival.

Source: wenxuecity (originally from hk.on.cc), January 13, 2018
http://www.wenxuecity.com/news/2018/01/13/6894218.html

Sina (China News Agency) reported that when Professor Pan Liyong of the Zhejiang University School of Humanities applied for social security card transfer for his mother in order to bring his mother to live with him in Hangzhou, the Cixi Medical Insurance Center asked him to prove that “your mother is (really) your mother.” He was forced to get a notarized certificate as proof from his school. The certificate of proof spread on the Internet and got widespread attention from netizens.

The circulated certificate from the Humanities and Tourism Research Center of Zhejiang University had its official seal. The certificate said,” Professor Pan Liyong is the director of the Philosophy Department at the Humanities School of Zhejiang University. Recently he brought his mother to live with him in Hangzhou. According to the requirement of the relevant departments of your organization, he needs to go through certain formalities for his mother’s social security medical cards to be transferred. This is hereby to prove that PAN Li-yong’s mother, Chen Ai-Lian, is the mother of PAN Li-yong. It is hereby also to prove that the ridiculous practice of “proving that your father is your father,” which Premier Li openly criticized, is indeed still widespread.

Professor Pan said that when he tried to apply for the social security card transfer for his mother, the staff of Cixi Medical Insurance Center insisted that he provide a certificate of relationship with his mother. He had to get the above proof against his will. He then sent a photo of this certificate to his circle of friends. After the relevant departments from Cixi City saw the photo, the United Front Department of Cixi City promptly contacted him. Then the Cixi City Health Insurance Center immediately processed his mother’s social security card transfer.

Source: Sina, December 28, 2017
http://news.sina.com.cn/s/wh/2017-12-27/doc-ifyqcwaq4969339.shtml

Apple Daily published an article reporting that a documentary movie that CCTV aired claimed that China has built the world’s largest surveillance camera network called “Skynet.” It has over 170 million cameras installed around the country. As part of the effort to ensure stability, the Skynet project plans to install an additional 400 million cameras over the next three years. A BBC article described the camera’s capabilities. Those used in the “Skynet” project can recognize people’s age, sex, and the clothes they are wearing when they walk down the street. The project also has records of people’s facial image and their vehicle’s license plate. In a test experiment using the facial image of a BBC reporter, the installed cameras spotted the reporter at a train station within seven minutes after he attempted to “escape.”

Source: Apple Daily, December 11, 2017
https://tw.appledaily.com/new/realtime/20171211/1257551/

VOA published an interview with some guest speakers, who discussed Beijing’s sudden eviction of tens of thousands of its “low-end population” when the weather was very cold. The “Low-end population” refers to people who do work that requires low skills and who do not hold residence status in Beijing. Below is a selection from the guest speaker’s comments.

1) It is hard to accept the term “low-end population” because it grades people into different categories. Of course, in sociology, people are divided into different social classes: the bottom, middle, and upper classes. The Chinese Communist Party claims that the proletariat is the master of China but in reality the five percent who are the elite class in China are the real master. The party follows Social Darwinism, which seeks the end result but not the means. The elite can hurt others for their gain. As a matter of fact, their authority has completely deviated from the rule by law they have been promoting. The Party Secretary of Beijing knows how propaganda works and understands the impact the media has. Therefore it is not that he chose to issue the eviction order but he had no other option. He had to force the action and couldn’t wait. It could be that the party thinks that China’s economy will collapse in the next six to 12 months. If large numbers of people are unemployed and unable to survive, it is obvious that these people could pose a huge threat to their authority. These (low-end) people still have work right now. Even though they were evicted they wouldn’t rebel. If they were unemployed, however, it is very unlikely that they wouldn’t leave even if the authorities used guns to chase them out. This is the reason that the authorities do not want to disclose right now.

2) The real reason is that the highest leader became so powerful that he has lost his judgment. He has been successfully suppressing different voices in the past few years, including social group, rights lawyers or rights activists. He feels that he has invincible power now and that he can do anything. Therefore he used a radical approach in urban management and didn’t realize that he is facing fierce resistance from the international society and his own citizens.

Source: VOA Chinese, December 1, 2017
https://www.voachinese.com/a/voaweishi-20171201-pc-china-migrant-worker/4145303.html