A senior official admitted recently that the public should be given more channels to air their grievances, and local governments should exercise restraint in dealing with social unrest.
Zhou Yongkang, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee and former public security minister said it was essential that potential social problems be "nipped in the bud".
"More channels should be opened to solicit public opinion and local governments should spare no effort to solve people's problems," Zhou said.
China has seen several cases of social unrest, from violent protests and strikes to riots, and they are increasing thanks to the economic slowdown.
The current Public Security Minister Meng Jianzhu echoed Zhou's remarks, speaking of the threat of "social problems affecting stability under the current circumstances."
He said that preventin problems from getting out of hand was paramount and that officials must be sober-minded and realize the importance of safeguarding social stability.
However, Wang Taiyuan, a professor at the Chinese People's Public Security University said while officials may want to "nip things in the bud", police departments also need to standardize procedures for law enforcement to avoid aggravating conflicts.
"They have to be more cautious in the way they act," he said.
Wang warned trying to maintain social stability should not be at the cost of infringing on the legitimate rights and interests of the people.
"Protecting the rights of the people is a fundamental requirement."
That's going to be a hard balance law enforcers will find themselves in -- who takes more precedence -- the government or the people?
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Thursday, December 4, 2008
This Looks Familiar...
When I was in Shanghai for the Spring Festival or Chinese New Year, I headed to Dongtai Lu, the antique market street.
There I bought some embroidery, and some plates and bowls that had butterflies painted on them.
And as I was dragging my haul out of the area to catch a taxi back to my hotel, I spied an antique clock in a stall.
It was black with the two bells at the top and looked quite cool.
The shop owner wanted 300RMB ($43.58) but I said that was too expensive. I think in the end I got it for 120RMB ($17.43).
I was so proud of the clock, thinking it was in pretty good condition. With a bit of cleaning, as it was slightly rusted on the metal handle at the top, it would look like a nice decorate piece.
Fast forward to tonight as I wandered around Ikea and I spotted THE SAME CLOCK.
Could it be the same? It looked very similar.
And the price? 39RMB ($5.67).
Now that I examine my "old" clock again, I think I've been had!
You win some, you lose some.
Winter is Here
I know it's not winter solstice yet, but today it was cold. Damn cold.
There is a Siberian front blowing across north and northeastern China for the next few days. Snowstorms have already hit Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces.
And today in Beijing it was minus 2 degrees but no snow... yet.
I bundled up on long johns, sweater, pants, socks, scarf, gloves and my big puffy down coat.
But when I got outside my legs were cold and had to jog to keep warm.
However, I have my secret weapon. Well it's not secret, but I have joined others in knowing how to keep my mouth and nose warm.
It's a surgical mask.
Many wear the cotton cloth ones, but I have a few disposable ones and keep one in my pocket. And today it came in really handy especially tonight.
The mask shielded part of my face from the strong gusts of wind that were chilling and relentless. Even now I can hear the howling and my doors rattling.
Winter isn't my favourite season in Beijing, but we all have to go through it... mask and all.
There is a Siberian front blowing across north and northeastern China for the next few days. Snowstorms have already hit Jilin, Liaoning and Heilongjiang provinces.
And today in Beijing it was minus 2 degrees but no snow... yet.
I bundled up on long johns, sweater, pants, socks, scarf, gloves and my big puffy down coat.
But when I got outside my legs were cold and had to jog to keep warm.
However, I have my secret weapon. Well it's not secret, but I have joined others in knowing how to keep my mouth and nose warm.
It's a surgical mask.
Many wear the cotton cloth ones, but I have a few disposable ones and keep one in my pocket. And today it came in really handy especially tonight.
The mask shielded part of my face from the strong gusts of wind that were chilling and relentless. Even now I can hear the howling and my doors rattling.
Winter isn't my favourite season in Beijing, but we all have to go through it... mask and all.
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
Flexing the Bargaining Muscles
The gym that I regularly use is the health club at the Holiday Inn Lido. I buy a membership card that's good for 30 visits at 2,000RMB ($291) and I can use both the gym and small pool.
However they just started over two weeks of renovations, and being a person who needs to work out for my mental and physical sanity, I had to scout out other gyms in the area.
The first one I went to is called Hokay in the mall across the street from my place. On the fifth floor, the gym was still coming together with renovations still being done.
A sales associate promised me it would be finished in the next day or so, but seeing wiring and other things not quite in place was a bit disconcerting.
The shower stalls didn't seem to have doors on them either. Or maybe they weren't put on yet.
While there were relatively large spaces for classes like yoga, pilates and aerobics, the middle section with treadmills and machines was very cramped.
I tried to explain this to the sales associate, but she misunderstood me and said they were going to add more machines and that the space was equal to that of two offices.
It left an uncomfortable feeling and I left without even asking the price.
Then I checked out the Marriott Courtyard Hotel which opened just before the Olympics. When I asked the staff at the door about their "exercise club", they had no idea what I meant and had to ask the concierge.
When you don't say something exactly right in Chinese, they give you strange looks without trying to figure out what you meant was the "fitness centre".
On the fourth floor, it practically takes the whole floor, with a decent-sized gym complete with new treadmills, ellipitcal and cycling machines as well as free weights and other weight-bearing machines. There's also a gorgeous pool next door that's long and a large jacuzzi on the side.
The per visit rate here is 100RMB ($14.54) and I thought that was expensive.
But today after work I checked out one more gym relatively close to me, called Ozone Fitness in another shopping mall. It's on two floors, but now that it gets dark early because of winter, it felt really dark in the work-out areas.
Even though I asked for the prices up front, the sales associate insisted on showing me around first to see if I liked the place.
It's big and has lots of machines, most of the left idle. The weight room area is mostly occupied by guys trying to show off, and few women around.
But then the real test of endurance was the bargaining session.
I explained I didn't want a year membership because I only wanted to use the gym for a few weeks and asked how much it was per visit.
The reply? 200RMB.
I told her the Marriott was only charging 100RMB and they had a pool.
So she brought in her manager who spoke some English. At first they tried to give me a deal of 2,666RMB ($388) for 36 visits, but my interest in the gym was already starting to wane.
Then he tried to sweeten the deal by making it the same price but for 40 visits.
I said I only really wanted to use it for 20 visits, and then he went back to his manager to try and make the deal even better.
They even had the gall to ask me if I could set a schedule of coming say Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If so, then I could use the gym for 1,880RMB ($273.44).
Why would they want to restrict me? I already explained to them I would only use it three times a week, but imposing specific days on me wasn't fair.
By this point I was completely turned off.
Their last ditch offer was the forget the specific days, but I instead decided I'd bite the bullet and go back to the Marriott a few times.
For them to drastically drop their prices meant they were desperate for members, but also meant they hadn't done their homework in terms of price setting.
I went back to the Marriott and had the gym to myself and an overly-eager gym manager showing me how to use all the equipment too.
And then I saw a woman come in who usually goes to the fitness club at the Holiday Inn Lido.
"You've come here too!" she remarked.
I'll be making sure I get my money's worth and hope those renovations get finished on time.
However they just started over two weeks of renovations, and being a person who needs to work out for my mental and physical sanity, I had to scout out other gyms in the area.
The first one I went to is called Hokay in the mall across the street from my place. On the fifth floor, the gym was still coming together with renovations still being done.
A sales associate promised me it would be finished in the next day or so, but seeing wiring and other things not quite in place was a bit disconcerting.
The shower stalls didn't seem to have doors on them either. Or maybe they weren't put on yet.
While there were relatively large spaces for classes like yoga, pilates and aerobics, the middle section with treadmills and machines was very cramped.
I tried to explain this to the sales associate, but she misunderstood me and said they were going to add more machines and that the space was equal to that of two offices.
It left an uncomfortable feeling and I left without even asking the price.
Then I checked out the Marriott Courtyard Hotel which opened just before the Olympics. When I asked the staff at the door about their "exercise club", they had no idea what I meant and had to ask the concierge.
When you don't say something exactly right in Chinese, they give you strange looks without trying to figure out what you meant was the "fitness centre".
On the fourth floor, it practically takes the whole floor, with a decent-sized gym complete with new treadmills, ellipitcal and cycling machines as well as free weights and other weight-bearing machines. There's also a gorgeous pool next door that's long and a large jacuzzi on the side.
The per visit rate here is 100RMB ($14.54) and I thought that was expensive.
But today after work I checked out one more gym relatively close to me, called Ozone Fitness in another shopping mall. It's on two floors, but now that it gets dark early because of winter, it felt really dark in the work-out areas.
Even though I asked for the prices up front, the sales associate insisted on showing me around first to see if I liked the place.
It's big and has lots of machines, most of the left idle. The weight room area is mostly occupied by guys trying to show off, and few women around.
But then the real test of endurance was the bargaining session.
I explained I didn't want a year membership because I only wanted to use the gym for a few weeks and asked how much it was per visit.
The reply? 200RMB.
I told her the Marriott was only charging 100RMB and they had a pool.
So she brought in her manager who spoke some English. At first they tried to give me a deal of 2,666RMB ($388) for 36 visits, but my interest in the gym was already starting to wane.
Then he tried to sweeten the deal by making it the same price but for 40 visits.
I said I only really wanted to use it for 20 visits, and then he went back to his manager to try and make the deal even better.
They even had the gall to ask me if I could set a schedule of coming say Monday, Wednesday, Friday and Sunday, or Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. If so, then I could use the gym for 1,880RMB ($273.44).
Why would they want to restrict me? I already explained to them I would only use it three times a week, but imposing specific days on me wasn't fair.
By this point I was completely turned off.
Their last ditch offer was the forget the specific days, but I instead decided I'd bite the bullet and go back to the Marriott a few times.
For them to drastically drop their prices meant they were desperate for members, but also meant they hadn't done their homework in terms of price setting.
I went back to the Marriott and had the gym to myself and an overly-eager gym manager showing me how to use all the equipment too.
And then I saw a woman come in who usually goes to the fitness club at the Holiday Inn Lido.
"You've come here too!" she remarked.
I'll be making sure I get my money's worth and hope those renovations get finished on time.
Monday, December 1, 2008
Lingering Misconceptions
Today is World Aids Day and China is marking it with a giant red ribbon at the National Stadium, or Bird's Nest as seen in this photo from UNAIDS China.The country is still in denial over the actual numbers of HIV/AIDS sufferers because in order to get treatment, people need to get registered and for them, having others know would be the death of them socially.
Currently the Ministry of Health claims there are more than 260,000 with HIV/AIDS in China, but the government, UNAIDS and the World Health Organization estimate the number could be as high as 700,000.
Part of the reason is many people who have HIV don't know they have it and haven't tested for it.
Apparently the government is now blaming prostitutes for not insisting their clients use condoms because sexual transmission has surpassed injected drug use. But more onus should be put on everyone to practice safe sex.
But aside from that, there are still misconceptions about HIV/AIDS that leave many in the west flabbergasted by the ignorance and lack of information the Chinese have about it.
A survey this year of residents in six Chinese cities found more than 48 percent thought they could become infected from mosquito bites, and 18 percent believed they could catch it by being sneezed or coughed on by someone living with HIV.
In addition, nearly 32 percent thought the people who have HIV/AIDS deserved it because of their drug use or sexual behaviour; almost 48 percent would not eat with someone with HIV; and 30 percent felt children with HIV should not attend the same schools as uninfected children.
While these statistics about people's attitudes towards HIV/AIDS are frightening, the government is doing little to dispel rumours or correct misconceptions. While Chinese state media wrote about the survey, they didn't explain medically or scientifically there was nothing wrong with touching a person infected with HIV, or explain the almost impossible chances of getting infected from a mosquito bite.
Nor do the articles or any government information say anything about how people should practice safe sex or that say, using condoms are the best way to not only prevent HIV/AIDS but also other sexually-transmitted diseases as well as unwanted pregnancies.
The government always seems to skip a step each time when they claim they are informing their citizens. The same goes for environmental protection. They tell people to care more about the environment, but then don't explain that this entails not littering, separating your garbage, and using less packaging and plastic bags.
If China really wants to prevent HIV/AIDS from getting out of hand, it should really educate its people about the real facts and help those suffering from being branded as outcasts.
Putting a giant red ribbon the Bird's Nest looks good, but is it really helping the situation?
Legions of Eager Workers
Yesterday over 770,000 people sat for the civil service exams in 38 cities in China.
However, there are only 13,500 spots.
That means 98 out of every 100 exam takers will not get a chance at an "iron rice bowl" job. In these economically turbulent times, people are anxious to get a steady well-paying job. And it's a good gig working for government as long as you don't get corrupted...
It's a record number of exam takers this year and another record are the 6.1 million fresh graduates who are looking for jobs.
They have already had to scale down their salary expectations. When I arrived here over a year and a half ago, the average was around 3,000 RMB ($435.60). But now with the economic downturn and the increased number of people looking for jobs, fresh grads could be looking at starting salaries of 1,000RMB ($145.20) or even less.
What is also becoming ridiculous is that employers are now seeking overly qualified people to fill posts. In junior positions they will only look at those who have a Masters or Doctorate degree, and not necessarily in the field the job is for.
As you can see, there is not enough jobs for educated people in China. Things are not developing fast enough for people with university degrees to do jobs suited for their intelligence level, let alone something they're vaguely interested in.
Now they will just take any job they can get, making them question the value of their university education and their optimism for the future.
However, there are only 13,500 spots.
That means 98 out of every 100 exam takers will not get a chance at an "iron rice bowl" job. In these economically turbulent times, people are anxious to get a steady well-paying job. And it's a good gig working for government as long as you don't get corrupted...
It's a record number of exam takers this year and another record are the 6.1 million fresh graduates who are looking for jobs.
They have already had to scale down their salary expectations. When I arrived here over a year and a half ago, the average was around 3,000 RMB ($435.60). But now with the economic downturn and the increased number of people looking for jobs, fresh grads could be looking at starting salaries of 1,000RMB ($145.20) or even less.
What is also becoming ridiculous is that employers are now seeking overly qualified people to fill posts. In junior positions they will only look at those who have a Masters or Doctorate degree, and not necessarily in the field the job is for.
As you can see, there is not enough jobs for educated people in China. Things are not developing fast enough for people with university degrees to do jobs suited for their intelligence level, let alone something they're vaguely interested in.
Now they will just take any job they can get, making them question the value of their university education and their optimism for the future.
Hanging On
Yesterday as we wandered around the 798 Art District, we came across a curious piece of art, hanging off the side of a building.
It was a statue of a man, buck naked -- sorry -- nude, with small wings on his back.
He seems to be reflecting our times: with the economic downturn on everyone's minds, we all seem to be hanging on.
Or is he just supposed to be a piece of amusement?
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