The China Dissent Monitor, a project of the US-based human rights organization Freedom House, showed an 18 percent increase in dissent cases during the second quarter in the same period as of the previous year. The most common reason for protests is related to the economy, where workers’ rights issues make up 44% while 21% are dissatisfied homeowners, according to Bloomberg.
These protests raise questions about the economic difficulties that the ruling Communist Party faces at the moment. Thus, while ten years ago, economic growth improved people’s well-being, today, citizens observe only a decline in confidence and a slowdown in economic growth rates.
These continue to be compounded by a real estate bubble, the trade dispute with the US, increased regulation of the private sector, and the financial costs of lockdowns beginning with COVID-19. Beijing has tried to pump oft again and again to get the economy moving but it still grows at a snail’s pace.
The Freedom House information covers 372 provincial-level cities and shows that property issues are a dominant factor provoking social unrest, with right-wing protests regarding real estate increasing by 10 percent in one year. Of the most reported incidents, some are associated with protest actions against large real estate companies—Country Garden Holdings Co. and China Evergrande Group.
Kevin Slaten, who directs the China Dissent Monitor project, saw that the Communists have been willing to have their subjects submit to their one-party dictatorship since the virtues of their economic growth are gotten in exchange. But as the wave of slow growth hits more people, it negates this tradeoff process.
Such unrest might not threaten the regime change in the nation as rebellions are most often unorganized and localized. Still, the tempted dislike can potentially threaten the government’s strategic vision in case economic challenges remain the chief concern for the evolving populace.
In the words of Liqian Ren, director of Modern Alpha at WisdomTree Inc., growing protests mean that the central government has a problem implementing policies when short-term needs are becoming a priority for citizens.
