這篇是經濟學者雜誌頭幾篇評論胡錦濤主政後，市民意識的興起。以群眾運動、利益團體和意見領袖的成熟與否來判定中共控制中國一、二線城市的能力。Blue兩種意思並列來看，一是具體上肉眼可及的「藍色」，另一為「憂愁」。2007年在廈門和2011年在大連，都有類似於這篇環保運動的活動。大抵上偏公共管理的事務，而非動搖政權或引起黨組織的崩壞。另外在18大開議期間，計程車司機被公安當局要求「不能開窗戶」，又加緊作網路宣傳，中共的「草根民主」問題與討論，作所謂和民眾的「溝通」，但成效不彰。沒有立即的國安危機，但中產階級的興起是大家偏自己顧自己的，到了此時也說不上能有什麼「公民力量」或「利益政治」的興啟。陳光標的樂善好施在紙醉金迷下，就算往後習近平有禁奢令，也是紙罪金覓口頭講講，風一吹就沒了似的。

筆者這篇是回別的網友的文章。

Unrest in the cities

Middle-class blues

Oct 29th 2012, 18:52 by J.M. | BEIJING

IT MUST be worrying to China’s leadership that some of the largest outbreaks of urban unrest in recent years have occurred in some of the country’s most prosperous cities. The most recent example, in the port city of Ningbo, involved thousands of people facing off with riot police in a protest over plans to expand a chemical factory in the city. After three days of sometimes-violent demonstrations, the city government announced on October 28th that it was halting the project (as the Associated Press reports). For now at least, the protests appear to be subsiding.

They were triggered by the same middle-class fears that inspired large-scale demonstrations in the port cities of Xiamen in 2007 and Dalian last year. All related to projects involving the manufacture of paraxylene, a toxic chemical, which protesters believed would pollute the environment. Ningbo’s, however, were unusual for their violence and their proximity to a political event of huge importance to the Communist Party. On November 8th the party will convene its 18th congress in Beijing. So determined is it to prevent disruption of this event, and of a meeting right after it which will endorse sweeping changes to the country’s leadership, that taxis in Beijing are even said to have been ordered to disable the mechanisms that allow passengers to open rear windows. A Chinese newspaper, the Global Times, says this is because officials do not want people throwing dissident leaflets out of them. (Many drivers have not complied.)

The party is particularly nervous this year as the country’s economic growth slows and members of the new middle class become more anxious about their prospects in the years ahead. Even the official media sometimes hint at this. Another Chinese newspaper, the China Daily, reported recently on a survey of Beijing residents that was conducted by a government-sponsored think-tank in the capital. Only 1% of respondents said their quality of life had greatly improved in recent years, while one-fifth said it had improved slightly. More than one-third said they felt no change, and more than 40% said their lives were worse.

Even the state broadcaster, CCTV, has offered a rare hint that the party’s efforts to portray a country of growing happiness are being greeted by some with cynicism.Beginning in late September it broadcast a series of programmes called “Reaching the grass-roots: people’s voices from within”. Ministry of Tofu, a blog about Chinese society, reported that producers of the series must have been somewhat disappointed if they expected their interviewees, who were asked how happy they were, to gush with satisfaction. Many dodged the question and some gave answers that were nonsensical or funny.

On its website, the government news agency, Xinhua, offered a similar description of the responses given to the CCTV cameras (here, in Chinese). China’s ever-boisterous users of Twitter-like services gleefully took to one anecdote in particular, about a migrant worker in the northern province of Shanxi. The words “are you happy” in Chinese happening to sound identical to “are you surnamed Fu”, the worker replied to the question by answering, “My surname is Zeng”. CCTV’s willingness to air this clip was an unusual deviation from its propaganda-driven norm. Xinhua blamed the responses of Mr Zeng and others on “the pressures of life” in a fast-changing China. Such pressures, as recent events in Ningbo have shown, are generating restlessness even among beneficiaries of the country’s economic transformation.

(Picture credit: AFP)

« Chinas ruling families: Torrent of scandal

·       Recommended

·       105

·       Submit to reddit

·       inShare2

Middle-class blues

Oct 31st 2012, 08:38

Dear Jasmine Yu:

Ive heard of your complaint of CCTV or local media, including this featured comment and the followings. I also feel sorry to these media deaf to the problem of serious pollution. In fact, there is still newspaper, like China Daily, putting forward the analysis of public poll as well as some plan available. For many years, I disliked CCTV and a little China’s media, even in conflict with them. Although they mostly “provide” the “service” (at least, as I know, CCTV sees themselves always right) for office more than public, these media still needs to know the farsighted information owing to broadcast in public

From your words, you aren’t the one that wants to disturb the peace of any people’s regular livings but promotes the environment of people’s life. Of course, the level of the pubic nuisance is less serious than the level of 1989’s Tienanmen incident, or these two belonged to two very different kinds. In recent years, in preparation of steering China’s future, some of the upcoming fifth-generation Communist Party already did some experiment of the balance, between economic growth and environmental protection, in local government. At the moment of industrial structure in transition, as the examples of many nations history of industrialization, whether a nation continues to advance partly depends on the attitude toward the environment concerned. So does China, especially for the sustainable growth in all-directional fields. This is really a dilemma when it comes to foreign investment.

The Economist is a trustworthy journal of the global viewpoint. I’ve read it for so many years as I worked for Beijing’s Communist Party. From the incident by Chen Guang-chen who joins anti-pollution activities in Zhejiang, Beijing pays more attention to this issue more than before. Basically, any for good of public can be discussed in public room and in the process of legal approach. Please be patient for the solution by government while I already send your complaint to these upcoming leaders, including Xi Jin-ping and Li Ke-qiang.

    Recommended

    3

    Report

    Permalink

Middle-class blues

Oct 31st 2012, 12:42

Oops! I write the wrong name "Chen Guang-chen" by mistake. The correct one is "Chen Guang-biao", a businessman showing charity usually in public, who once visited Taiwan in contention and helped the Economist write the prediction of Asian nations welfare policy.

    Recommended

    3

    Report

    Permalink