In Guangdong’s Zhuhai, a tragic incident of significant casualties occurred recently, leading the Chinese authorities to initiate large-scale stability maintenance efforts. The demand for road barrier stones in Zhuhai has surged. Following directives from the central leadership in Zhongnanhai, nationwide inspections have been intensified, with Beijing placing emphasis on ensuring the capital’s security at all costs. Official statements emphasize the so-called “Fengqiao Experience” stability maintenance model, with articles advocating for judicial justice being censored, sparking criticism from the public.
The incident in Zhuhai on November 11th involving a car ramming into pedestrians resulted in official reports of 35 deaths and 43 injuries, though there are doubts among the public about the actual numbers being higher. Both Chinese leader Xi Jinping and Premier Li Keqiang issued statements the day after the incident, with Xi calling for “drawing inferences from one instance, enhancing risk prevention at the source, timely resolution of conflicts and disputes, and strictly preventing the occurrence of extreme incidents,” among other directives.
Various regions have been holding consecutive meetings in response to the incident. On the 13th, the Beijing Municipal Committee convened to discuss the Zhuhai event, emphasizing the need to fully guarantee the capital’s security and stability. It is reported that Beijing has started compiling information on migrant populations renting accommodations and investigating the situation of “migrant children.”
The Fujian Provincial Public Security Department held a meeting on the 14th announcing plans to strengthen personnel management, collect comprehensive intelligence on various unstable trends and operational clues, and so forth. Additionally, Hunan, Chongqing, and other regions held similar meetings on the same day.
Online netizens abroad on platform X have expressed criticisms and mockery in response to such news:
“The source is none other than the General Secretary himself, right? Why blame others.”
“The more they focus on stability maintenance, the more unstable it becomes. Continuing the high-pressure stability maintenance approach will only lead to more incidents, it’s an inevitable trend.”
“The main focus is on inspection, but it doesn’t address the root causes.”
“Our Party: Ensuring the personal safety of senior officials in the capital!”
“Here comes the brainwashing propaganda of catching thieves by shouting thief. Everyone knows the real source. It’s through this type of propaganda that has led many people to remain blind.”
“Disturb the grassroots civil servants, and in turn, civil servants disturb the common people.”
“This is it! ‘Capital Security and Stability’ must come before ‘the safety of the people’s lives and property!'”
“This stability maintenance meeting is probably in preparation for the rumored student protests at Tiananmen Square on the 25th.”
“Prepare for late-night winter raids by armed police to evict ‘low-end populations.'”
“The source is indeed in Beijing.”
“We’re getting really scared; they’ll likely soon cancel entry permits to Beijing, and vehicles from outside areas won’t be allowed in.”
“With all this identification and screening, after the results come out, will they start banning some people from driving?”
“New-era human behavior control 2.0 is starting, in the future, whether life is satisfactory will determine if you can leave your house; a red pass restricts movement, a green one allows passage. Communities will be monitoring residents like spies. The constant statistical surveys and investigations all stem from Xi Jinping’s policies, which emit a foul odor.”
Starting from November 13th, numerous photos and videos have circulated online showing various communities and institutions in Zhuhai bulk-purchasing road barrier stones. There are reports indicating that the demand for these stones in Zhuhai has outstripped supply, leading to them being sold out. Stone factories in nearby cities like Guangzhou have begun releasing videos showing fleets of trucks transporting barrier stones to Zhuhai.
Independent commentator Cai Shunkun commented on platform X, “The primitive preventive measures can block car ramming into specific areas, however, with China’s car ownership exceeding over 400 million vehicles, with cars lining the streets as instruments for committing crimes, the next step might be banning cars altogether!”
A notice from a community in Zhuhai has been circulating online, instructing the temporary suspension of collective activities like square dancing.
There are reports of various regions even starting inspections of individuals categorized as “four no,” “five loss,” or “eight loss,” as well as those identified as “three low three few.” “Four no” denotes individuals lacking a spouse, children, employment, stable income, assets like houses or cars. “Five loss” refers to those experiencing investment failures, life disappointments, relational breakdowns, psychological imbalances, and mental instabilities. “Eight loss” encompasses the elements of “five loss” but adds aspects like unemployment, emotional dissatisfaction, and a lack of discipline in youth. “Three low three few” signifies individuals with low economic income, social status, limited social reputation, minimal interpersonal interactions, few opportunities for mobility, and sparse channels for relief.
Some netizens suggest that based on these criteria, the individuals identified may encompass up to “90% of the total population.” Questions arise on how to proceed post-identification: “Are they going to send them all to concentration camps?” “After the statistics are complete, will they all be arrested?” “Select them out and isolate them?”
“Ming Pao” reported that a freelancer named Ms. Bai, currently residing in Guangzhou, received a call from community officials in her registered residence in Guizhou inquiring about her employment situation, which she believes to be coincidental.
Cai Shunkun noted that regions nationwide are screening specific populations, but due to the economic downturn and soaring unemployment rates, with the official statistics in Guangzhou reaching as high as 37% in September, vulnerable groups are expanding, with their most notable trait being the lack of vulnerabilities, free of worries, posing a formidable challenge under Xi Jinping’s rule.
Recently, the Zhuhai Public Security announced the motive of the 62-year-old suspect, Fan, behind the car ramming incident, citing dissatisfaction with the outcome of his property division after a divorce. However, external parties suspect the concealment of Fan’s previous noncompliance with a court ruling before the incident.
Han Xu, a law professor at Sichuan University, published an article titled “Just Judiciary As a Social Pressure Relief Valve,” asserting that a fair judiciary serves as society’s final barrier of fairness and justice, soothing hearts, empowering the weak, instilling confidence in the hopeless, and playing a vital role in social stability. Yet, shortly after publication, the article was removed from platforms like WeChat and Weibo.
A mainland lawyer on Weibo commented, “A just judiciary acts as a relief valve for society. It’s a shame that such a good article is no longer visible. The margin for freedom in Chinese discourse is becoming increasingly narrow.”
On the 14th, the Chief Prosecutor of the Supreme People’s Procuratorate of China, Ying Yong, stated that procuratorial organs will conduct thorough investigations and examinations into “thoroughly probing and inspecting contradictions and disputes.”
The Ministry of Public Security held a meeting on the 13th concerning the Zhuhai incident, emphasizing adherence to the so-called “Fengqiao Experience” of the new era and further enhancing comprehensive social stability control. They also highlighted promoting Beijing’s practices among the “Chaoyang Public” and effectively tackling conflicts and disputes involving legal matters.
The “Chaoyang Public” in Beijing is perceived by outsiders as a civilian spy organization linked to the Chinese Communist Party. The “Fengqiao Experience” refers to the mass “monitoring, transformation, and struggle” against so-called “class enemies” conducted in the Fengqiao district of Zhejiang by the CCP in the 1960s. A significant number of individuals categorized as “landlords, rich, reactionaries, and criminals” were persecuted to death. Since Xi Jinping took office, he has repeatedly emphasized the need to “uphold and develop the Fengqiao Experience.”
Chinese human rights lawyer Wu Shaoping, currently residing in the United States, criticized the Ministry of Public Security’s intention to address societal issues using methods like the “Fengqiao Experience” and “Chaoyang Public,” dismissing the negative impact of high-pressure governance on the public. He told Radio Free Asia that if the judiciary were fair, it could alleviate some societal tensions, but he believes that the Chinese Communist Party, in order to maintain its dictatorial rule, will not provide a judicially fair environment for the people.