The Chinese government is stepping up measures to root out potential troublemakers and quell social unrest, after a series of mass killings shook the country and raised fears about public safety.
Armed police have been stationed outside schools, with bollards placed nearby to prevent cars from ramming into people. Police officers have increased patrols at supermarkets, tourist attractions and other crowded places, and have pledged to better regulate knives and other weapons. Officials have also promised to help the unemployed and distribute vacation subsidies to those in need.
The security initiative, which authorities in some places have dubbed “Operation Winter,” follows a series of recent attacks that once again put a spotlight on China’s troubled economy. In November, a driver plowed into a crowd outside a sports center in the city of Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people in China’s deadliest attack in a decade. Just a week later there was a stabbing that killed eight people and another car crashed in front of a school. In all three cases, officials said the perpetrators were expressing financial dissatisfaction.
After the Zhuhai attack, China’s leader Xi Jinping ordered officials to “strictly prevent extreme cases.” Authorities at all levels have rushed to comply.
The drivers of both attacks were sentenced to death late last month in unusually swift trials that demonstrated the government’s determination to crack down on potential copycats.
Projecting stability and control has long been one of the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s biggest concerns, its implicit justification for limiting citizens’ civil liberties. But that concern has become even more central as high youth unemployment, rising home foreclosures and deteriorating international relations have fueled widespread anxiety about China’s future. Some government workers have not received their salaries due to stagnant local government finances.
Public protests, mostly related to economic issues such as lost investments or unpaid wages, grew 18 percent in the first 11 months of 2024, compared with a year earlier, according to a tracker from Freedom House, an advocacy group. based in Washington.
But Beijing has been reluctant to strengthen the country’s social safety net or offer substantial direct relief to consumers. Instead, it has relied on harsher tactics to root out those with grievances.
He central government urged officials to ensure social stability during the holiday season, saying in a Dec. 27 notice that they should “conduct investigations of all kinds of conflicts and hidden risks and dangers.”
In Yinchuan, a city in northwest China, police officers investigated whether there were incidents of bullying or disputes between teachers or students, according to a press release.
In Yancheng, eastern China, police have checked karaoke bars, rental homes and hotels for potential vagrants.
in a recent meeting In response to villagers and local party officials in central Henan province, police “encouraged everyone to actively report any conflicts and disputes that have recently occurred in the village.” Under Xi, the Chinese government has renewed calls for ordinary residents to keep an eye on each other.
The central government routinely issues guidelines on how to ensure a safe Christmas season. But this year the instructions on social stability were more detailed. They pointed out places to pay attention to (including campuses and sports venues) and asked officials to monitor public opinion and provide “positive guidance.”
Debate about the attacks and economic discontent in general has been heavily censored. Relatives of the victims have also been prevented from speaking to journalists.
Economists and public commentators have suggested that the government should focus more on boosting consumer confidence and offering stronger protections to ordinary people against financial hardship. At times, authorities have acknowledged these demands, such as in their promises to combat wage arrears for migrant workers or to provide holiday support to the homeless or disabled.
This month, many civil servants across the country discovered they had been given a surprise pay rise, according to discussions on social media, although the government issued no formal announcement.
However, many calls for more substantial reforms have been decried, themselves considered threats to social stability.
“They should have been looking for what forces turned these people into beasts, but instead they ran away to investigate the ‘five types of losers,'” said Li Chengpeng, a former prominent Chinese journalist who now lives abroad. wrote on social media. He was referring to local government notices that circulated online ordering officials to keep an eye on people who had suffered losses, such as jobs or investments.
Still, the same economic crisis that may be fueling some people’s grievances may also make it difficult to maintain heightened security measures.
Many local governments are already in debt. They are now under intense pressure to respond to Xi’s call to avoid mass incidents, but their money and manpower will soon come under pressure, he said. Hongshen Zhuassistant professor at Hong Kong’s Lingnan University who studies Chinese governance.
“As long as no new incidents occur, the priority of public safety will decrease for local governments until the next public outcry occurs,” he said.
