Social Stability - 5. page

China is facing an outbreak of H5N1 avian influenza, which has become severe since late January. The virus has spread across multiple provinces, including Shandong, Henan, Hebei, Shanxi, and Shanghai, causing severe losses for poultry farmers. Reports indicate a high number of H5N1 cases in poultry, with some number of cases observed in humans.

Shanghai announced a ban on live poultry trading, active through the end of 2027. On February 11, an employee from China’s Center for Disease Control (CDC) confirmed that human cases of avian flu had been detected in Shanxi Province. Thai media quoted a staff member from the Shanxi CDC saying that 2,000 people in the province had been infected with H5N1 avian influenza, resulting in 300 deaths. While Chinese state media have remained silent, CDC employees across Shanxi have begun conducting surveillance for “human avian influenza” as early as mid-January.

An exclusive report by The Epoch Times cited an insider working in China’s epidemic prevention sector who said he had personally encountered over a hundred cases of H5N1 in humans, with a 68% fatality rate among those cases – significantly higher than that of the COVID-19 pandemic. It was reported that China has been quietly building its infamous modular hospitals that it used to quarantine patients during COVID, in multiple provinces.

As of this writing, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the U.S. CDC have not reported any known cases of human-to-human H5N1 transmission — all known cases in humans have been a result of animal-to-human transmission.

Source: Epoch Times, February 15, 2025
https://www.ntdtv.com/gb/2025/02/15/a103959017.html

Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao recently reported on Chinese marriage registration data released by the Chinese Ministry of Civil Affairs. In 2024 there were 6.1 million marriage registrations nationwide in China, down 20.5 percent from the previous year. This is the largest decline since the Chinese government first began tracking marriage statistics in 1978. Marriages are down by more than 50% since the peak rate in 2013.

Chinese marriage registrations have declined each year since 2013, with the exception of 2023 when China lifted the Zero-Covid lockdown policy and there was a moderate rebound in registrations. Chinese scholars studying population issues indicated that the primary factor causing the decline in Chinese marriages is “a reduction in the number of young people who are suitable for marriage.” This trend is a long-term consequence of the CCP’s one-child policy. A secondary factor causing the decline in marriages is “reduced willingness of marriageable people to get married,” with the age of first marriage also being delayed. In many big cities, the average first marriage age is now close to 30 years old. Chinese scholars have suggested that the government “explore ways to reduce the social and cultural burden of marriage as well as the cost of marriage.”

While the number of new marriages fell in China, the number of divorce registrations increased to 2.62 million last year, a slight increase of 1.1 percent.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, February 10, 2025
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/news/china/story20250210-5858203

According to the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ), 361 journalists are imprisoned across the globe as of December 2024, with the largest number detained in China. The top three countries on CPJ’s list are China, Israel and Myanmar, currently having 50, 43, and 35 reporters detained, respectively. China has held the top spot since 2022.

The CPJ report noted that China’s “pervasive censorship” has made it difficult to determine the exact number of imprisoned journalists, and highlighted the increasing number of cases in Hong Kong, especially the continued imprisonment of media tycoon Jimmy Lai since December 2020. The committee also said that Israel is a country with a multi-party democracy. Before the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023, it rarely appeared on the annual list. All reporters detained in Israel are Palestinians.

Asia remains the region with the largest number of imprisoned journalists. In addition to China and Myanmar, which have the highest numbers of imprisoned journalists, Vietnam has 16, Afghanistan has 2, Bangladesh has 4, India has 3, and the Philippines has 1.

Source: CNA, January 17, 2025
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/aopl/202501170125.aspx

Data released by the China National Film Administration showed that China’s total box office movie revenues in 2024 were RMB 42.502 billion yuan (around US$ 5.82 billion), a 22.6 percent drop from 2023. Revenue from domestic (Chinese-produced) films were down 27.3 percent from 2023. Singapore’s primary Chinese language newspaper Lianhe Zaobao reported that last year’s drop movie theater in revenue was a major blow to an industry that has yet to fully recover from the Covid pandemic.

The decline in box office revenue has been attributed to a combination of factors: a decline in the number of feature films being show, competition to movie theaters from online products such as streaming series, and a slowing economy. Box office revenues from the two-day Chinese Christmas holiday were the lowest in more than ten years. Visitors to urban theaters in 2024 totaled 1.01 billion, down from 1.299 billion in 2023. A total of 612 feature films were produced last year, down from 792 in 2023.

Source: Lianhe Zaobao, December 31, 2024
https://www.zaobao.com.sg/realtime/china/story20250101-5672597

In response to a series of alarming violent incidents across the country, Chinese authorities have launched a comprehensive nationwide effort to enhance public safety and prevent extreme criminal activities.

According to media reports, China has experienced nearly 20 indiscriminate violent attacks in 2024, including high-profile incidents such as the fatal stabbing of a Japanese student in Shenzhen and a knife attack at a Beijing elementary school that left five people injured. Recent cases in Zhuhai and Yixing have further heightened concerns about public safety.

The highest-level judicial and law enforcement institutions are taking coordinated action. The Supreme People’s Procuratorate has explicitly emphasized a zero-tolerance approach to crimes threatening campus safety, with a particular focus on severely punishing major violent offenses.

National Public Security Minister Wang Xiaohong announced a comprehensive “Winter Operation” strategy, implementing a multi-pronged approach to prevention, crime control, and social stability. The plan aims to ensure public safety during the winter and spring seasons and prevent extreme incidents.

The Ministry of Justice is also actively working to resolve potential social conflicts, instructing local judicial organizations to conduct thorough investigations into various interpersonal disputes, including family, neighborhood, and property-related issues.

Local governments are responding with localized safety enhancement measures. In Wuxi, officials have established a dynamic monitoring system with daily reporting, weekly checks, and monthly assessments. Similarly, Changsha’s leadership is conducting rigorous public safety reviews, emphasizing continuous risk identification and mitigation.

These coordinated efforts reflect China’s urgent commitment to addressing the recent surge in random violent attacks and maintaining social stability.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), November 25, 2024
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202411250241.aspx

Recent incidents of indiscriminate violence in China have sparked concerns about deepening social issues amid China’s current economic downturn. According to Taiwan-based Academia Sinica researcher Lin Zong-hong, these attacks directly correlate with deteriorating economic conditions and increasing psychological distress among lower-income citizens.

Unlike democratic societies where religious organizations, social workers, and civil groups can provide emotional outlets during economic hardship, China’s strict top-down political control severely limits such support systems. The government’s tight social control has disrupted interpersonal connections and eliminated crucial support mechanisms for mentally distressed individuals.

Experts predict that information about such violent incidents will become increasingly restricted. The authorities fear these events could trigger larger waves of public discontent and protests, similar to how the Urumqi fire incident led to the “White Paper” protests. As a result, the government is likely to further tighten information control to prevent collective grievances from emerging.

Wang Zhi-sheng, a member of the Taiwan’s Chinese Asia-Pacific Elite Exchange Association, describes Chinese society as a “pressure cooker.” With limited channels for expressing dissatisfaction with social governance, some individuals are turning to violence as a form of protest. Recent examples include a car ramming incident in Zhuhai, Guangdong (35 deaths) and a school stabbing in Yixing, Jiangsu (8 deaths, 17 injured).

The situation reflects multiple intersecting problems within Chinese society. As economic conditions worsen and social pressures mount, experts warn that without addressing the underlying issues, similar incidents may continue to occur, potentially leading to a copycat effect in what is described as an increasingly volatile social environment.

Source: Central News Agency (Taiwan), November 19, 2024
https://www.cna.com.tw/news/acn/202411190174.aspx