On the occasion of the 75th anniversary of the Communist Party’s rule (“National Day”), China is facing political repression, with grievances and official resentments intertwining. Incidents of indiscriminate killings and police shootings have been frequent in society. The authorities are intensifying stability maintenance for dissenting voices domestically. Experts point out that regardless of the crisis the authoritarian regime faces, it continues to suppress dissidents. There are significant uncertainties in China, and overseas pro-democracy movements are preparing for the collapse of the CCP dictatorship.
October 1st saw a shooting incident within the Shaoyang City Public Security Bureau in Hunan Province during a flag-raising ceremony for National Day. Li Changyue, the bureau chief, was shot at close range by Duang Peng, the deputy battalion leader of the special police force, with his condition unknown.
The incident was reported by Hong Kong’s “Ming Pao” and “Asia News Weekly,” but mainland China has censored the news. On September 30th, a random killing spree occurred at a Walmart supermarket in Songjiang District, Shanghai, resulting in an official report of 3 dead and 15 injured, while insiders claimed that 7 people were killed.
Under the rule of the CCP, the privileged oppress the common people, leading to social injustice. With China’s economy declining and unemployment rates soaring, people’s lives are becoming more difficult, which fuels resentment and various acts of violence. The recent indiscriminate killings in Shanghai have prompted netizens to comment on the heavy social atmosphere and express their frustration.
The name “Zhang Xianzhong” refers to a peasant uprising leader during the late Ming Dynasty and is often used metaphorically for attackers who are desperate with society.
On September 29th, a serious traffic accident occurred in Zangtun Town, Dacheng County, Hebei Province, where a truck collided with a public bus. Locals suspect that someone set off an explosion on the bus out of desperation, resulting in multiple fatalities.
Media reports from mainland China, including Jingxi News, did not mention the explosion but focused on the collision itself, stating that it was a severe traffic accident. The exact death toll has not been officially disclosed.
There have been widespread rumors circulating online about the murder-suicide of a deputy mayor in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province on September 30, 2024. However, the limited video evidence makes it difficult to verify.
Professor Feng Chongyi from the University of Technology Sydney told Dajiyuan that the incident at the Hunan Public Security Bureau is just one of many similar cases that often go undisclosed. He believes that shooting at the bureau chief was intentional, while acts like the indiscriminate killings in Shanghai were driven by pent-up frustrations.
During the National Day period, the CCP has continued its monitoring and control of human rights activists. According to Radio Free Asia, authorities have heightened security measures to prevent dissidents from traveling to Beijing during the National Day holiday.
Meanwhile, the website of the Central Social Work Department went live on October 1st, revealing the names of the department’s six leading officials for the first time. The newly established department is responsible for controlling and managing the floating population nationwide, as well as overseeing the party building and grassroots governance under the CCP’s jurisdiction.
Recent expansion of community worker teams by the CCP has led to comprehensive surveillance of the population’s daily lives. Wu Zuolai, a scholar familiar with the CCP system, stated that the Central Social Work Department operates as a large network for social control.
Feng Chongyi emphasized that the CCP’s authoritarian rule resorts to repression and eliminating dissent to survive, regardless of economic or social crises. He mentioned that the establishment of the Central Social Work Department is aimed at strengthening social stability to sustain CCP rule. However, he warned that such measures might not be sustainable in the long run, especially if the economy deteriorates and government resources cannot support the extensive repression machinery.
October 1st marks the 75th anniversary of the CCP’s rule establishment, during which Chinese democracy activists burned the Chinese national flag outside the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles.
On October 2nd, Wu Zuolai explained why “National Day” is considered a day of national mourning. He referenced historical connotations from the works of Qu Yuan, indicating that the term “National Mourning” now reflects the devastation and loss of the nation. He commented on the CCP’s rule being akin to colonization by erasing the previous regime, leading to the party’s more assertive grip on power.
Overseas pro-democracy activists believe that the corrupt and oppressive CCP regime, which has oppressed the Chinese people for 75 years, is accelerating towards collapse under the rule of Xi Jinping.
On September 30th at 2:30 PM EST (2:30 AM Beijing time on October 1st), the second China Reform Conference organized by veteran overseas democracy activists Wei Jingsheng, the 1989 Tiananmen Square protest leader Wang Dan, and the chairman of the National Committee of China’s Democratic Party, Wang Juntao, was officially held on the Zoom platform. The focus was on establishing a democratic economic system for a post-collapse China under CCP tyranny.
Feng Chongyi mentioned that apart from the recent overseas conferences on democracy, earlier forums like the “Future China Outlook Forum” hosted by the Guangming Media also emphasized the structural crises in China and the potential for sudden changes in the political landscape. These discussions serve as preparations for unexpected events.