The Chinese Communist Party’s so-called “Ecological Environment Code” officially took effect on August 15th, with a large number of fine provisions included. Some are concerned that the authorities’ laws will encourage excessive fines, becoming a tool for local governments to suppress the people and profit from them. Lawyers point out that China’s biggest problem is not enacting various laws to control ordinary citizens, but rather to rein in the chaotic behavior of the upper echelons of the CCP.
The Chinese Communist Party’s “Ecological Environment Code” which came into effect on August 15th consists of 5 chapters with a total of 1,242 articles involving numerous fine regulations.
State media recently reported on some issues of public concern with headlines such as “New regulations effective on Saturday! Maximum fine of 1000 yuan for square dance noise disturbance” and “The highest fine is 20,000 for this kind of barbecue! Fully implemented on August 15th.”
For instances like square dance noise disturbance, individuals who refuse to correct their behavior can be fined from 200 yuan to 1,000 yuan, while organizations can be fined from 2,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan.
Furthermore, for outdoor barbecue activities in prohibited time periods and areas designated by the local government, the supervisory authority determined by the county-level or above local people’s government will order correction, confiscate barbecue tools and illegal gains, and impose fines ranging from 500 yuan to 5,000 yuan; for those who refuse to comply, fines can range from 5,000 yuan to 20,000 yuan.
Some people expressed support for the measures, while others are alarmed by the arrival of an era of comprehensive fines.
A Chinese citizen using the alias Xiao Hua shared with Epoch Times that the issue of square dance noise disturbance has been a long-standing and annoying problem. However, it is a concern that such stringent governance measures are only introduced when the problem reaches a certain level, a recurring issue in authoritarian states.
Xiu Hua, a young white-collar worker in Beijing, told Epoch Times that fines have always been a common practice at the local level, and with this new law, the government now has a means of revenue generation. If the boundaries are blurred and enforcement is strict, it may easily lead to public resentment.
Chinese issues expert Li Linyi stated that the Chinese Communist Party is creating more and more laws and regulations that may seem grandiose on the surface, but in reality, they fail to address the core issues. As a result, many laws become tools for the government to oppress the people and profit from them. This includes recent “distant fishing” style cross-regional arrests targeting private business owners in the form of law enforcement actions. It is foreseeable that this extensive law with over a thousand articles will also become a tool for various regions to collect revenue. Given its broad coverage, China is likely to enter an era of comprehensive fines.
A mainland Chinese lawyer using the alias Yang Ming emphasized to Epoch Times that prioritizing ecological conservation is commendable. However, the root cause of the deteriorating ecological environment in China lies in the CCP’s exploitative economic development model and the predatory system. Relying solely on such performative law enforcement measures, rather than granting more freedom to individuals and enabling autonomous management of various affairs, under this authoritarian regime, will only lead to strict control on one hand and chaos on the other.
Yang Ming pointed out that for a long time, the CCP’s law enforcement activities have been profit-driven, with relevant departments and officials easily benefiting personally. Moreover, they have failed to achieve fairness, justice, and transparency, leading to widespread discontent and continued circumvention of the rules.
Over the years, China has been known as the country of fines, from penalties for exceeding birth quotas to daily fines for traffic violations and commercial activities, which have sparked controversies.
Yang Ming highlighted that as the economy continues to decline, excessive regulation and enforcement without discernment may stifle economic vitality, making it harder for people to find a way out and potentially exacerbate social crises.
In fact,
The Chinese Communist Party has accumulated over 30 currently effective laws, more than 100 administrative regulations, and over 1,000 local regulations in the field of ecological conservation. This “Ecological Environment Code” simply consolidates the original “Environmental Protection Law” and 10 other basic laws and regulations into one.
Yang Ming reiterated that the biggest issue in mainland China is not enacting various laws to control ordinary citizens, but rather how to effectively restrain the CCP, especially the rampant misdeeds of the upper echelons and their reckless behavior. Without addressing this problem, no matter how many laws are put in place, they are likely to become political theatrics.