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China-Japan-Koreas
Wave of Social Unrest Continues Across China
2006-08-11
BEIJING — The Chinese government, which has battled a surge of social unrest in recent years, reported Wednesday that there were 39,000 cases of "public order disruptions" in the first half of the year. The Ministry of Public Security said that represented a 2.5% decrease in the number of protests from the same period in 2005, though it offered no explanation of how it had come up with the figures.

China is in the midst of dramatic social and economic transformations that have created a two-tier society separated by a widening gap in incomes. Social discontent has been on the rise in recent years, fueled by income disparities, land disputes, pollution problems and an inadequate legal system that is widely seen as failing to address people's needs.

Beijing is normally reluctant to disclose negative information, especially about public disturbances that could tarnish China's international reputation and undermine one-party control. But in recent years, the central government has grown increasingly concerned about the effect of unrest on economic development and social stability.
Posted by:Steve White

#6  China nor Russia will have to worry about achieving rough parity or auperiority vv USA 2030-2050 iff the USA is gone 2015-2020, now will they, voluntarily via MOVEON.org/Far-Radical Left-led Dem POTUSes, or forcibly via "Resistance agz US Agression". Worse case - USA's VOLUNTEER ARMY runs of beans-bullets afore the Commies-Muslims run out of cannon fodder bodies.
Posted by: JosephMendiola   2006-08-11 21:54  

#5  Article: Illegal land grabs are a major source of tension. In December, paramilitary police opened fire on villagers in southern China's Guangdong province who were protesting what they said was insufficient compensation for land appropriated for a new power plant. The government said three villagers were killed.

The weird thing is that in some of the prosperous (by Chinese standards) regions of Guangdong province, which is 20% larger than New York State, local officials have worked out deals that former residents have found acceptable, whereby the land is leased out to businesses and the rent paid is distributed to these ex-residents on a per head basis. The amounts paid can be significant - in Shenzhen and the counties immediately west of it, many ex-residents have achieved comfortable retirements (again, based on Chinese standards) on the basis of these pro rata rent payments alone. It appears that even within the same province, there are significant differences among the eminent domain policies practised by local officials - some satisfy local residents while others serve to inflame their grievances.
Posted by: Zhang Fei   2006-08-11 20:44  

#4  But...but...Its the Chinese Century! Haven't the Chinese been reading the MSM?
Posted by: Oldcat   2006-08-11 11:43  

#3  It will be interesting to see if China can solve these problems and last another 20 years.
Posted by: DarthVader   2006-08-11 09:46  

#2  China's revolutions usually start in the countryside. This wave of unrest will not need a recession to set it off. In fact, a recession would probably reduce the friction between the countryside and the cities as schadenfreude sets in. The Olympics could be interesting.
Posted by: Nimble Spemble   2006-08-11 09:39  

#1  Just wait for their first real economic recession!
Posted by: Cheash Elmaish2033   2006-08-11 09:33  

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