China deploys security measures to try to reassure a country on the edge

The Chinese government is stepping up measures to root out potential troublemakers and quell social discontent, after a series of massacres shook the country and stoked fears for public safety.

Armed police are stationed outside schools, with bollards erected nearby to prevent cars from hitting people. Police have increased patrols of supermarkets, tourist attractions and other busy places, and pledged to better regulate knives and other weapons. Authorities also promised to help the unemployed and distribute holiday allowances to the needy.

The security operation, which authorities have dubbed in some places Operation Winter, follows a series of recent attacks that have put a renewed spotlight on China's struggling economy. In November, a driver plowed into a crowd outside a sports center in the city of Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people in China's deadliest attack in a decade. A stabbing that killed eight people and another car rammed outside a school followed just a week later. In all three cases, officials said the perpetrators were expressing financial displeasure.

After the Zhuhai attack, Chinese leader Xi Jinping ordered authorities to strictly prevent extreme cases. Authorities at all levels rushed to comply.

The drivers of the two car attacks were sentenced to death late last month, following unusually speedy trials that showed the government's determination to crack down on potential copycats.

Projecting stability and control has long been one of the ruling Chinese Communist Party's greatest concerns, an implicit justification for limiting citizens' civil liberties. But that concern has become even more central as high youth unemployment, soaring property foreclosures and deteriorating international relations have fueled widespread worry about China's future. Some civil servants are no longer paid, while local government finances stagnate.

Public protests, mainly linked to economic problems such as investment losses or unpaid wages, increased by 18% in the first 11 months of 2024, compared to the previous year, according to a tracking tool. Freedom House, a Washington-based advocacy group.

But Beijing remains reluctant to strengthen the country's social safety net or offer substantial direct aid to consumers. Instead, he resorted to more heavy-handed tactics to eliminate those with grievances.

THE central government urged officials to ensure social stability during the holiday season, saying in a Dec. 27 notice that they should conduct in-depth investigations into all kinds of conflicts and hidden risks and dangers.

In Yinchuan, a city in northwest China, police investigated whether there had been incidents of bullying or conflicts between teachers or students, according to a report. press release.

In Yancheng, in eastern China, police checked karaoke bars, rental properties and hotels for potential slackers.

To a recent meeting villagers and local party officials in the central province of Henan, the police encouraged everyone to actively report any conflicts and disputes that occurred recently in the village. Under Mr. Xi's leadership, the Chinese government has renewed calls for ordinary citizens to look out for each other.

The central government regularly issues guidelines to ensure a safe holiday period. But this year, the instructions on social stability have been more detailed. They chose sites to monitor, including campuses and sports venues, and called on officials to monitor public opinion and provide positive guidance.

Discussion of the attacks and general economic discontent has been heavily censored. Relatives of the victims were also prevented from speaking with journalists.

Economists and public commentators have suggested that the government should focus more on building consumer confidence and providing stronger protections for ordinary citizens against financial hardship. Authorities have sometimes recognized these demands, for example by promising to tackle wage arrears for migrant workers or providing holiday allowances to the homeless or disabled.

This month, many civil servants across the country discovered they had received a surprise pay rise, according to discussions on social media, although the government has made no official announcement.

Yet many calls for more substantial reforms have been censored, themselves seen as threats to social stability.

They should have investigated what forces turned these people into beasts, but they ran away to investigate the five types of losers, Li Chengpeng, a former prominent Chinese journalist now living abroad, wrote on social networks. He was referring to local government notices posted online ordering officials to monitor people who have suffered losses, including job or investment losses.

Still, the same economic downturn that could fuel some people's grievances could also make it difficult to maintain heightened security measures.

Many local authorities are already drowning in debt. They are now under intense pressure to respond to Mr Xi's call to prevent mass incidents, but their money and manpower will soon be strained, said Hongshen Zhuassistant professor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong who studies Chinese governance.

As long as no new incidents occur, the priority of public safety will decrease for local governments until the next public outcry, he said.