Trouble in Paradise?

Social Discontent is on the rise. "According to the most recent publicised government figures, 87,000 "mass incidents" were reported across China in 2005, up 6.6 per cent on 2004 and 50 per cent on 2003." Those are just the numbers Beijing is willing to release.

The Chinese will tolerate corruption to a point. When it starts to affect them personally, the government hears about it. I believe most demonstrations occur in the rural areas where corruption is worse and the people can least afford it. Beijing has demanded that local authorities determine the root causes of these problems, and where social discontent is most prominent, local officials will be punished.

This is a bit like asking the fox to guard the hen house. In those places where local officials are the "root cause" of the demonstrations, authorities are not going to be gentle in trying to quash unrest.

Beijing is already putting its spin on the problem. "Fugitive criminals and underworld gangs, as well as those who steal rural production materials, produce or sell fake and substandard commodities, kidnap children and women and smuggle drugs, explosives and guns will be targeted," Mr Liu the vice minister of public security explained.

I think they are mixing their problems. Social unrest generally occurs when local officials "steal" farmers' land, require exorbitant bribes from people who are least likely to have the means to pay them, or deny some basic civil liberty to individuals. Criminals are another matter altogether.