In 2025, which marks the 76th anniversary of the Chinese Communist Party’s rule, mainland China is facing a triple crisis of downward economic trends, high political pressure, and collapsing social trust. The living conditions for the people continue to deteriorate, censorship is tightening, public services are sharply declining in quality, and public dissatisfaction is simmering like a volcano.
Many mainland Chinese citizens have voiced that as the veil covering economic growth is lifted, deep-rooted institutional contradictions are starkly exposed in the sunlight. Experts analyze that this crisis is not just an economic issue but also a precursor to the collapse of the political system.
Official reports indicate that on the first day of the National Day holiday, several provincial-level Party secretaries from the Chinese Communist Party conducted field research. For example, the Hunan Party Secretary, Shen Xiaoming, visited the Changsha Agricultural Product Logistics Park and promised to reduce logistics costs. The Inner Mongolia Party Secretary, Wang Weizhong, visited the Meitong wholesale market, emphasizing food safety. The Hainan Party Secretary, Feng Fei, visited a marriage registration office, demanding improved service efficiency. The Jiangsu Party Secretary, Xin Changxing, inspected the flow of visitors at the Confucius Temple in Nanjing, while the Hubei Party Secretary, Wang Zhonglin, visited stores in Wuhan.
However, can these high-profile “people-oriented showcases” truly solve the problems? These research efforts, despite seeming close to the lives of the people, are seen by the public as superficial gestures that do not address the deeply rooted structural issues accumulated over the long term. People have become accustomed to these “showy research activities” and even harbor strong opposition towards them.
Critics have accused corporations entering agriculture of exploiting farmers, leading to hollowing out of rural areas – with vacant houses, closed schools, elderly in tears, livestock perishing, and young people migrating for work.
The fate after moving to cities is equally despairing. Most struggle to accumulate wealth, burdened by heavy mortgage loans, while parents sacrifice to support their children only to face lonely old age.
One blogger has criticized societal issues like GMOs, additives, capital exploitation, high property prices, and high healthcare and education costs, which have made life difficult in both urban and rural areas. They call for increasing grain prices to retain farmers, warning that rural revitalization may just serve as cannon fodder with no real development prospects.
These observations reflect a lack of medical ethics, moral integrity, charitable deeds, and rampant wrongdoing within society.
The blogger sarcastically points out the harsh realities: while capital pretends to care for the people, it actually controls everything; praying to Buddha is futile, farming doesn’t lead to wealth, hard work requires connections for prosperity; if the umbrella seller controls the rain, there will never be sunshine. They urge people to wake up to the cannibalistic nature of this world since no one will pave the way for you.
These online voices aren’t baseless rumors but portray the real struggles of people’s lives. Several interviewees told Epoch Times that the current economic situation in China is deteriorating continuously, posing a direct threat to the lives of ordinary people.
Wang Ya, a freelancer in Guangzhou, expresses, “Food prices are soaring, young people can’t afford homes, healthcare costs are increasing, and education expenses suffocate families. These basic life securities have become luxuries, and the pressure on ordinary families has reached a breaking point.”
In the healthcare sector, an engineer recently arrived in China, Mr. Hu, shares alarming cases, saying, “Since the implementation of centralized drug procurement policies in 2019, the quality of drugs has been declining yearly, reaching a shocking low by 2025. Defective needle designs in syringes, insufficient anesthesia medications, and even horrifying situations where patients wake up during surgery halfway through.” This phenomenon reflects a systemic collapse in the public health system under financial pressures.
In terms of employment, a Shanghai resident, Yu Zhonghuan, notes chilling realities, “Foreign enterprises are pulling out on a large scale, young people can’t find jobs, and even security positions that were typically for those over 60 are now laying off individuals younger than 60. Numerous migrant workers are left jobless and are returning to their hometowns.”
Moreover, the visible signs of commercial depression are apparent: two-thirds of the new mid-to-high-end shopping centers in downtown have closed, office buildings stand vacant, and once bustling streets are now desolate. The drastic decline in economic vitality sends shivers down everyone’s spines.
Food safety crises are erupting. Mr. Hu points out, “Within just ten days of the school year starting, three schools experienced mass food poisoning incidents. Even in financially relatively affluent places like Shanghai, incidents are occurring, indicating that local governments no longer have the funds to maintain basic public safety standards. When finances can’t support basic security, problems erupt in the most direct and brutal manners.”
Furthermore, the alarming environmental pollution is cause for concern. Mr. Hu notes, “Local governments and major taxpayer corporations have formed symbiotic relationships. Under financial pressures, the incentive to turn a blind eye to pollution emissions has only grown stronger. From toxic odors in Shenyang to fecal water incidents in Hangzhou, environmental quality continues to deteriorate, squeezing the living spaces of ordinary people.”
Recently, the unexpected strong backlash against the new K visa policy has not eased tensions; instead, it has created new social rifts, making an already tense society even more sensitive.
Mr. Hu analyzes, “With recent graduates struggling to find employment and meager wages, the introduction of a policy lowing thresholds for foreign talent recruitment is a slap in the face. This highly-educated group that was supposed to be supported by the government is starting to question whose side the policies are truly on. This reflects a shaking of the foundation of governance legitimacy.”
Under the continuous contraction of freedom of speech under the Chinese Communist Party, all interviewees unanimously feel the tightening grip, reaching an extreme and indiscriminate level.
Yu Zhonghuan, for expressing so-called “negative energy” views, had his WeChat account suspended six times in a row, ultimately leading to a permanent ban. He helplessly shares, “Expressing different opinions not only leads to your own account being banned but also results in entire groups being shut down, cascading to the ban of other group members’ accounts.” He adds, “Even posting on Twitter can attract police warnings.”
Even so-called patriotic internet celebrities haven’t been immune from the crackdowns.
Mr. Hu mentions an ironic case where a prominent educational influencer, Zhang Xuefeng, who declared willingness to donate 50 million yuan for attacking Taiwan, had his account shut down within a month. “The government’s control over speech has reached a point where they regulate regardless of support or opposition, good or bad. This blanket suppression reflects their deep-rooted insecurity.”
The suppression of human rights groups under the Communist regime is even more brutal. Yu Zhonghuan reveals a chilling detail, “Any petitioner purchasing a train ticket to Beijing is immediately monitored. Many have been locked up in black detention centers since May or June, not released even now, likely to be held until the end of all major events. Families can’t visit, and avenues for advocating rights have been completely sealed off.”
While this high-pressure control may temporarily quash public protests, Yu Zhonghuan warns, “Those who speak out are being systematically removed. While many may harbor silent grievances without airing them openly, these hidden resentments are accumulating and are bound to erupt.”
Under the dual squeeze of living difficulties and censorship, society’s trust is experiencing a comprehensive breakdown, exhibiting a domino effect.
Wang Ya believes, “Economic pressures and social conflicts have brought interpersonal trust to freezing point, with everyone adopting a ‘self-preservation’ mentality, rendering neighbors strangers and communities devoid of cohesion.”
Yu Zhonghuan observes sharply, “Long-term indoctrination has led many to lose their moral compass, willing to do anything for personal gain. Human nature has been distorted to shocking levels.”
The issue of child disappearances has heightened social anxieties. Yu Zhonghuan notes a general worry among the public regarding hidden organ trafficking behind the scenes. However, due to individual selfishness, “Only concerned about the safety of their own children, people remain apathetic to the fate of others’ children. Such myopic attitudes ultimately provide no real protection to anyone.”
Mr. Hu also points out an unsettling phenomenon: frequent cases of university student disappearances. Instead of actively investigating, the government attempts to cover up the truth. “This abnormal approach deepens public distrust and fear.”
The crisis of trust in the government is severe. Wang Ya expresses, “A considerable portion of the population has fundamental doubts about the government’s capabilities and intentions, and this erosion of trust is shaking the foundation of social stability.”
Adding a layer of irony, even retirees within the system are beginning to see the reality. Yu Zhonghuan reveals, “Retired personnel from the public prosecution system privately admit that they understand the severity of the problems more than we do, but to retain their benefits, they choose to uphold the system. This duplicity fosters further hypocrisy and division in society.”
A mainland Chinese lawyer, Chen Feng, from a macro perspective, dissects the essence of the current situation and reveals the deep logic behind this crisis.
“Since the reform and opening up, rapid economic growth has masked fundamental flaws in the political system, allowing people to focus on earning money and wealth rather than concerning themselves with the power structure. However, with the economy plummeting, it suddenly becomes apparent that authoritarian power not only fails to improve lives but is the root cause of these predicaments.”
Chen Feng believes the speed and scale of the current awakening are unprecedented: “Economic monopolies lead to inefficiency, astronomical corruption figures are exposed frequently, private sectors and ordinary people face immense challenges, creating a stark contrast. Lies no longer deceive the younger generation; many are bypassing censorship to uncover the truth, leading to growing forms of resistance.”
He states that the authorities have realized that a crisis is imminent, enhancing control over speech and internet access to prevent people from uniting, revealing their inner fears. “When the economic tide recedes, the political backwardness and barbarism of the system are completely exposed. This is both an opportunity for public awakening and the beginning of system disintegration.”
In conclusion, he remarks, “Extremes beget reversals. The current situation may bring economic difficulties to the people, but in terms of social change, it marks a significant turning point in history. The moment for change is rapidly approaching.”