Henan province in central China in June. It turns out that local authorities illegally used the new coronavirus infection control app to block the movement of more than 1,300 people. Yang, who lives in Shandong, is one of them.
On the morning of June 13, Yang arrived in Hanan on a night train and could not believe his eyes. As soon as I got closer to my destination, Zhengzhou Railway Station, the “health code” on my smartphone flashed red.
In China, authorities track the location of citizens. If contact with a positive person is suspected, the app will turn red and severe behavior restrictions will be imposed.
Yang, who does not remember being near an infected person, was even more surprised when he arrived at the station. “You must leave Hanan.” He was taken away by officials.
Yang visited Henan Province to withdraw 230,000 yuan (about 5 million yen) deposited in a local bank. Since April, several local banks have refused to withdraw funds, prompting a flood of protests. The spread of the demonstration will be deducted. Fearing that, the authorities used corona countermeasures as an excuse to cover up the inconvenience.
The “zero corona” policy to contain the virus with strict social control shocked the world. “I will not allow any infection”. In response to the policy of the Xi Jinping administration, suppression from above will cross the line in various places.
On April 14, a video showing Shanghai under lockdown was circulated on Chinese SNS (exchange sites). “Leave the police out.” When the residents of the apartment protest against the recommendation to move out, the police officers in white protective uniforms move to restrain them all at once, causing screams.
Shanghai’s lockdown, which began at the end of March, has banned all 25 million people from leaving their homes, and some have been forced out of their homes. On SNS, images of citizens suffering from food deprivation and the violent response of the police were broadcast live one after another, and the authorities were forced to delete them.
However, the Xi leadership did not waver. “We will resolutely fight against words and deeds that question and deny our country’s quarantine policy.” In May, it declared this and began to further strengthen its control over the Internet.
The power that has begun to move cannot be stopped easily.
“In half a year, the number of cases will increase to 112 million, and 1.6 million will die.” According to a joint US-China study published in the scientific journal Nature Medicine, if China eased its zero-corona measures, it would be devastating. This is because the efficacy of the popular Chinese-made vaccine is low.
It will cost the Xi administration face and prestige. We can’t rely on Western vaccines, and we can’t modify epidemic prevention policies.
No exceptions allowed. In 2012, when Mr. Xi took the Communist Party’s leadership, he launched a “zero tolerance” policy in the anti-corruption campaign. The quest for perfection now permeates everything.
“In 2009, the arrest rate was 96% for burglaries and other burglaries, and 100% for subway pickpockets.” The Shanghai Municipal Public Security Bureau boasts a track record.
By 2021, all residential areas and commercial buildings were equipped with street cameras to widen surveillance. In 2020, there were 72 robberies. With a 98% decrease from the peak in 2000, “zero” is becoming a reality.
Technology brings us closer to the ideal of a crime-free society. But the price is not small either.
In 2020, China spent 28 trillion yen on public security expenditures for maintaining domestic security and controlling speech, more than doubling over the past 10 years. It surpasses the defense budget, which is rapidly catching up with the United States, by 7%.
That is not all. Magma also accumulates in the tightening that has begun to distort.
“Tumble brother”. Since the end of June, jargon to make fun of the police has been trending on Chinese social media. It all started with an incident in Dandong, Liaoning Province in the northeast.
A woman in her 40s and her father were on their way to the hospital, but were stopped by the police because of their health code. “Did you take a picture just now?” A video of a policeman pretending to have collapsed after a brawl went viral with ridicule. With zero corona, distrust of the authorities deepens, and new dissatisfaction takes root one after another on the Internet.
It is precisely the clashes of diverse opinions that create social vitality and technological innovation. Containing all objections and counterarguments, the more you try to control everything, the greater the distance from the world. The reaction will inevitably become a shackle for Greater China someday.
Patriotic rule of Hong Kong,Opinion polls are the target, close your eyes to public opinion
In April, another pillar of Hong Kong’s democracy left. “There is no room for sincere words in Hong Kong right now, only lies,” wrote Zhong Jianhua, a former associate professor at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, on a flight to the UK.
After being summoned three times by the police, he said, “Hong Kong is no longer a place where you can live without feeling threatened.”
Minken, which started out as a laboratory at the University of Hong Kong, has conducted highly reliable research that is referenced by many Hong Kong researchers, and has sometimes reflected public opinion that is inconvenient for China. In Hong Kong, where the pro-democracy media and labor unions were forced to dissolve one after another after the Hong Kong National Security Law (National Security Law) came into effect, it is whispered as the next target.
In a survey conducted by Minken on voting behavior in the 2021 Legislative Council (parliament) election, the option of “casting a blank vote” was criticized as “manipulating public opinion and destroying the electoral system.” The “zero corona” policy and the investigation into Russia’s invasion of Ukraine have also been viewed as problems, and the Chinese government-affiliated media “lacks scientific basis and is suspected of collusion with foreign forces.”
The environment surrounding public opinion polls is getting tougher. According to Tetsuro Kobayashi, an associate professor at the City University of Hong Kong, some respondents are not answering political questions honestly, and some researchers are refraining from asking sensitive questions. He said, “Basic information such as approval ratings of pro-democracy parties has become difficult to see, leading to the atrophy of civil society.”
While the pro-China faction violently attacks the Minken, they frequently cite surveys such as the Shiji Research Institute and the Orange Newspaper. These results show a completely different result from the research conducted by the Minken and the perceptions of Hong Kong citizens.
For example, according to a Minken survey, only 32% of people in Hong Kong support a zero-corona policy, while 57% support coexistence with the coronavirus. However, according to a survey by Shijing, 68% of people support zero coronavirus, which greatly exceeds the 24% of those who support with corona. In the Zijing survey, 76% of respondents said that the national security law would not affect their freedoms and rights.
The reality of the purple thorn research institute, which was established in 2016 by pro-China factions, is shrouded in mystery. An expert on public opinion polls said, “The survey seems to be conducted using social media such as WeChat, which Chinese people prefer. The sampling is biased, and they don’t deal with decent researchers.”
When asked about his research methods and relationship with China, Zi Jing did not directly answer, saying, “I will serve Hong Kong and the country, unite patriots, and help Hong Kong practice a better one country, two systems.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping visited Hong Kong for the first time in five years to coincide with the 25th anniversary of the handover of China on July 1, and appealed for thorough “rule of Hong Kong by patriots.” Opinions that differ from the leadership are considered to be obstacles to the implementation of policies, and there is no sign of easing the ban on democrats.
A government-affiliated Hong Kong newspaper reported that 77% of Hong Kong citizens had increased confidence in the “one country, two systems” policy after Mr. Xi’s speech. The propaganda will only intensify. “Public opinion polls are facing a new challenge: How can we determine the direction of society and the world while raising the flag of science and democracy?” said Yoh Jongting, president of the Minken Research Institute.
In an authoritarian system, if the opposition continues to be suppressed, eventually all that can be heard is the voice of support for the government, and it is known that the dissatisfaction of the people suddenly explodes. Hong Kong’s “patriotic governance”, which attacks public opinion polls, the “society’s thermometer,” and closes its eyes to public opinion, appears to be at great risk.
