Social Stability - 4. page

As the September 3, 2025 “9/3 Military Parade” approaches, districts in Beijing have begun recruiting temporary security personnel, primarily tasked with guarding utility poles, pedestrian overpasses, and other key areas.

These temporary jobs mainly cover the period from August 8 to September 4 (with some extending to September 5), and most require continuous work – wages will be withheld if the worker leaves early. According to screenshots of job postings circulating on Chinese social media platforms WeChat and QQ groups, the recruitment mainly targets healthy men aged 18 to 55, with minimum height requirements of 168 cm or 170 cm.

Some postings explicitly state the role is “bridge guard.” This “occupation” began after the 2022 Sitong Bridge incident where Peng Lifa posted banners denouncing the Chinese Communist Party, Xi Jinping and the COVID lockdown. Since then, during politically sensitive periods, Beijing authorities have deployed “bridge watchers” to prevent the hanging of protest banners on overpasses. In addition, some recruitment ads mention “security guards” for utility poles. Netizens speculate this may be related to the large number of handwritten slogans found on utility poles in Beijing during this year’s June 4 anniversary.

A Beijing resident commented that this shows the times are unsettled.

Sources:
1. Epoch Times, August 8, 2025
https://www.epochtimes.com/gb/25/8/8/n14569832.htm
2. NTDTV, August 8, 2025
https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2025/08/07/a104009810.html

China’s “temple economy” is experiencing unprecedented growth as increasing numbers of young people flock to temples seeking spiritual comfort and purchasing temple-related merchandise. The market is projected to exceed 100 billion yuan ($13.9 billion) this year.

The temple economy refers to a comprehensive economic model centered around temples, developing through religious culture and tourism. This phenomenon has gained particular momentum among younger generations who visit temples to burn incense, pray for blessings, and purchase commemorative items as a form of emotional investment.

Beyond traditional revenue sources like entrance fees and incense offerings, the temple economy has expanded significantly through cultural and creative products. Young visitors frequently purchase items such as refrigerator magnets, canvas bags, protective amulets, and prayer bracelets. Popular examples include Beijing’s Yonghe Temple’s famous incense ash glass bead bracelets and Lingyin Temple’s eighteen-seed prayer chains.

Innovation has also emerged in this sector, with AI fortune-telling services and virtual lamp offerings attracting post-90s and post-2000s consumers as primary customer groups.

The market reached 80-90 billion yuan in 2023 and is expected to surpass the 100 billion yuan ($13.9 billion) milestone by 2025. Leading temples report substantial annual revenues: Mount Emei generates 820 million yuan ($114 million), Mount Jiuhua earns 720 million yuan ($100 million), and Lingyin Temple brings in 670 million yuan ($93 million) annually.

Industry analysts attribute this growth to people’s heightened demand for spiritual comfort and emotional support. This has driven consumption in prayer tourism, meditation experiences, and cultural products, with more consumers willing to pay for emotional value. The temple economy demonstrates stable cash flow characteristics, reflecting deeper societal needs for spiritual fulfillment in modern China.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), June 10, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202506100214.aspx

China.com recently reported after the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention released May’s Covid-19 data. The latest National Coronavirus Infection Status report shows that from May 1 to May 31, 2025, China had 440,662 new reported and confirmed Covid-19 cases in 31 provinces (including autonomous regions and municipalities) and the Xinjiang Production and Construction Corps.

Liu Qiyong, a researcher at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, said at a press conference held by the Chinese National Health Commission that the results of China’s monitoring of respiratory infectious diseases such as Covid-19 show that, since March 2025, Covid-19 has shown a gradual upward trend. At present, the national Covid-19 outbreak is at its high since the beginning of this year.

Regarding the reasons for this current peak, on the one hand, it has been half a year since the last peak, and the group immunity has declined relatively. On the other hand, the Covid-19 variants in this round are mainly XDV and XDV.1, which have a stronger ability to escape immunity and are more likely to break through the immune barrier established by previous infection or vaccination. These variants still belong to the Omicron family. There is no evidence that the pathogenicity of the variant has changed significantly, and the clinical severity of the disease has not changed significantly. Existing Covid-19 tests and drugs are still effective.

Source: China.com, June 10, 2025
http://news.china.com.cn/2025-06/10/content_117916855.html

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently ran a report on data published by China’s Ministry of Human Resources and Social Security regarding revenue and expenditure data for the Chinese national unemployment insurance fund.

In the first three months of this year, 244 million people in China drew from the national unemployment insurance fund, an increase of 2.56 million people year-over-year. During the same period, the income and expenditure of the unemployment insurance fund were RMB 49.54 billion yuan (around US$6.87 billion) and RMB 46.5 billion yuan (around US$6.45 billion) respectively. The fund expenditures increased significantly by 22.4 percent, year-over-year.

China paid out RMB 36.54 billion yuan (around US$5.07 billion) in unemployment insurance benefits in the first quarter, up 29.6 percent from last year. Unemployment insurance benefits include unemployment insurance, basic medical insurance premiums, vocational training and job referral subsidies, and other employment promotion expenses. The expenditure of the unemployment insurance fund has increased significantly relative to the number of insured persons and income. The biggest possibility for this increase is that the unemployment rate growth has led to an increase in the number of people receiving unemployment insurance benefits.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, May 12, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/finance/china/story20250512-6327319

Radio Free Asia (RFA) recently ran an article compiling a list of recent buzzwords and slang appearing on the Chinese internet. Some commentators reportedly believe that these trending phrases “reflect China’s economic struggles, workplace anxiety, and shifting societal mindset.”

• “Let Things Rot” (摆烂) – Originally a basketball term, it refers to a team intentionally giving up games after poor performance to secure better draft picks. It now describes an attitude of passive resignation, inaction, and giving up efforts to improve one’s situation.
• “Ox and Horse” (牛马) – A term used to describe people who work tirelessly but receive little reward, similar in sense to the phrases “corporate slaves” or “exploited laborers.” The term originates from the image of oxen and horses in traditional agricultural societies – animals that work hard yet lack freedom.
• “Flexible Employment”  (灵活就业) – Employment that is not tied to a fixed employer, offering freelance or gig-based income rather than a stable, full-time job. The term is often seen as a euphemism used by the government to soften the reality of unemployment.
• “Four-No Youth” (四不青年) – A label for young people who adopt a laid-back or passive approach to life and work. The “Four No’s” refer to:
  1. Not Dating: Relationships are seen as too costly in terms of time, money, and emotional effort.
  2. Not Marrying: Marriage pressures such as mortgages, dowries, and family responsibilities make it unappealing.
  3. Not Buying Property: High housing prices and mortgage burdens deter them from homeownership.
  4. Not Having Children: The high cost of raising children, including education, healthcare, and housing, discourages them from parenthood.

RFA wrote that “these terms highlight the growing sentiment of disillusionment and resistance among Chinese youth.”

Source: Radio Free Asia, April 9, 2025
https://www.rfa.org/mandarin/shehui/2025/04/09/china-internet-buzzword/