In a recent development at a local agricultural market in Shanghai, meat stall vendors have been asked to secure their cutting tools with iron chains. This mandate has sparked discussions among netizens after videos of the practice circulated online, drawing comparisons to the knife management measures in Xinjiang. Some commentators believe that the control of cutting tools is transitioning from specific regions to becoming part of urban residents’ daily lives.
On September 9th, a meat stall owner at the Rongnan Agricultural Market in Songjiang District of Shanghai shared a video stating that she had received a notice requiring all cutting tools used for business to be secured with iron chains. In the video, she cautioned her fellow vendors, saying, “Attention, colleagues in Shanghai, all cutting tools must now be locked up.”
A video circulating on social media shows kitchen knives and cleavers on a meat stall connected by metal chains, with the other end of the chain fastened to the stall or the market structure. The accompanying text in the video stated, “In response to the call, all cutting tools must be secured with chains. Failure to comply will result in rectification; in case of accidents, the responsibility will be borne by the vendors.”
Many mainland Chinese netizens expressed surprise at the appearance of such knife management measures in Shanghai. Some commented, “Ah, the magic city Shanghai??” while others questioned, “Is the Xinjiang model being extended to Shanghai?” Some used the term “loss prevention” to refer to the related measures.
Mrs. Zhu, a resident of Minhang in Shanghai, told reporters, “We don’t have kitchen knives chained up here. I’ve heard that some small vegetable markets chain up their knives, fearing that someone might grab a knife and harm others in such places. These small markets are gathering spots for common people. If someone commits violence there, it would be a serious matter. Incidents like murder, assaults, and car accidents happen frequently in other places. This society has been badly managed by the Communist Party.”
An internet user from Shanghai commented, “The vendor’s knives at the market are already specific to the stall owner. Now they are chained up, clearly not targeting ordinary theft issues.” Another netizen said, “Even the knives used for cutting meat are locked up, how are the vendors supposed to conduct their business?” Some questioned whether the measures were only implemented in one market or would be expanded to other agricultural markets in Shanghai.
Current affairs commentator Peng Xin (pseudonym) told Epoch Times that market knives have specific purposes and designated locations for use. The management authorities can regulate them through vendor registration, stall supervision, and centralized storage after business hours. By securing each knife with iron chains and requiring vendors to be responsible for accidents, it shows that the management is transferring safety responsibilities to individual vendors.
He stated, “If a person intending harm brings their own knife, they can still commit violence in the market. Chaining up knives doesn’t address the fundamental social issues. Nowadays, ordinary people have nowhere to seek justice. If someone goes to a department store to commit violence, wouldn’t the impact be even greater? Such methods of maintaining stability like in Xinjiang can’t solve the problems. I’ve seen in Xinjiang where meat sellers are locked in cages; if you want to buy meat, you have to go inside the cage. Such things only happen in mainland China.”
The chaining up of cutting tools at the meat stalls in Shanghai has once again brought attention to Xinjiang’s longstanding knife control measures. On August 29th, a netizen from Xinjiang released a video stating that he had to visit over a dozen places before he could purchase a kitchen knife with his identification card. The scene depicted in the video showed the knife sales counter enclosed by a steel mesh, with the cabinet doors fitted with three locks. The netizen mentioned that after the purchaser completed real-name registration, their identification information had to be laser-engraved on the blade.
Earlier on July 18th, another netizen shared in a short video his experience purchasing a kitchen knife in Xinjiang. He revealed that he had to visit five to six shops before finding one that sold blades. The purchase required presenting an ID, undergoing facial recognition, and having personal information recorded; the entire sales process was recorded.
A netizen from Xinjiang commented in the forum that some shops in the region were reluctant to sell kitchen knives due to the time-consuming procedures involved in the transaction. Shopkeepers had to store purchasers’ information and bear management responsibilities. Another netizen mentioned buying two 7-inch fruit knives on Taobao, an e-commerce platform, and was visited by local police for questioning.
Across China, several regions have long implemented real-name registration for the purchase of knives, with some supermarkets restricting offline sales and only allowing purchases through mail orders. This move has been mockingly referred to by netizens as “China’s special stability measures.” However, in reality, these strict stability measures have not been able to prevent malicious incidents and have instead led to a cycle of “the more stability measures enforced, the more sudden social retaliatory events occur.”