In Hangzhou’s Xiaoshan District, resident Cao Guoji’s private residence, which is nearly 800 square meters, was forcibly demolished last April without prior notification, and he has yet to receive any compensation.
The relocation office only offered compensation based on per capita living space, providing 200 square meters, but both Cao Guoji and his wife refused to accept this. Cao Guoji’s wife, who used to be a manager at a state-owned enterprise, was fired due to the inability to reach a compensation agreement with the relocation office. Cao Guoji told reporters that the demolition in the area started in 2021, but there were no formal procedures by the relocation office; essentially, it was about profiting from land sales.
On April 29, 2024, when the demolition office of Shushan Street, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, forcibly demolished Cao Guoji’s house, Cao’s mother, Huang Yunjuan, was inside the house. A group of unidentified individuals barged in, dragged Huang Yunjuan out of the house, and proceeded with the demolition.
Cao Guoji, who was at work at the time, rushed back after receiving a neighbor’s call, only to find the area cordoned off with police blocking his entry. He recalled, “They (the demolition office) initially claimed they were demolishing the adjacent house but accidentally damaged mine. Later, they resorted to declaring my house an illegal structure and forcibly demolished a multi-million worth property right in front of my eyes.”
Cao Guoji reported the incident to the police hotline, but the Xiaoshan branch of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau issued a “Non-Case Registration Notice” on May 29, 2024, stating the investigation found no criminal facts and thus refused to file a case.
According to Cao Guoji, there were no legal documents, no legal procedures followed, no prior notice, no official uniforms worn, no work credentials shown before the residents were dragged out and properties forcefully destroyed, constituting deliberate destruction of property, a criminal offense.
He said, “I reported to the police bureau in January last year; at that time, individuals with gang backgrounds threatened me, and I was concerned about the risk of forced eviction. In February, I applied for asset protection through the police. However, on the day of the demolition on April 29, the police claimed they were protecting my safety by barring me from entering, not safeguarding my property.”
“Furthermore, I have requested criminal prosecution, but they refused. According to the law, any unit causing over a hundred thousand yuan in losses to citizens constitutes a criminal offense that should be prosecuted, yet they refused to file a case.”
He added, “If the public security authority deems the non-filing decision correct, they must produce relevant legal documents with their response. Thus, I have submitted a request to the prosecutor’s office for a review of the Xiaoshan branch of the Hangzhou Public Security Bureau’s decision not to file a case and demanded a probe.”
After Cao Guoji’s mother was evicted from the house, she was forcibly placed in temporary housing for the elderly in the village. Cao Guoji expressed, “What’s more despicable is that the village even asked us for rent, and we paid over 8,000 yuan.”
Cao Guoji mentioned that the government promised a negotiator would discuss compensation after the demolition, but nearly a year has passed without any communication.
“I didn’t receive a single penny during the demolition; they didn’t follow any legal procedures, didn’t issue any compensation decisions, just came in and bulldozed the house.” He said, “After the house was demolished, I applied for asset protection again through the police as my belongings were inside, including valuable construction materials like aluminum alloy. Even when the house collapsed, it held value, but they failed to protect these items.”
Cao Guoji remarked, “As ordinary citizens, we are a vulnerable group without power, and now they have left me hanging, dragging the issue, anyway, the house is gone! They are no different from robbers.”
Repeated attempts by reporters to contact the administrative office of Shushan Street, Xiaoshan District, Hangzhou, were unsuccessful.