China
Pew: China Not Ripe for Revolution
With artist Ai Weiwei the latest dissident to be officially detained or simply disappear into the widening maw of China’s security crackdown following anonymous online calls for a “Jasmine Revolution,” a new report from the Pew Research Center bolsters arguments that Beijing is overreacting. Mr. Ai, an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, was taken into custody at the Beijing airport Sunday as he was about to board a flight for Hong Kong. He is the highest-profile figure yet to be caught up in a wave of arrests and detentions that many observers have interpreted as a preemptive strike against the possibility of Egypt-style popular unrest. Ever since Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a largely peaceful revolution in February, setting off speculation that the same could happen to leaders in Beijing, economists and skeptical China watchers have been at pains to point out that Chinese people as a whole are happier with their lives than Egyptians. The Pew report , based on the organization’s Global Attitudes survey , illustrates just how large that happiness differential is. The report starts off acknowledging that it’s difficult to get a clear read on the appetite for democracy in China, as: “Unlike in the Arab world, where opinion surveys have demonstrated public support for such basic democratic rights as free elections and freedom of speech, in China it is not possible to ask citizens about their views on democracy. The government won’t allow it.” But Pew argues that measuring personal and economic satisfaction, subjects that are allowed to be raised in surveys, enables some comparison. According to Pew’s survey, conducted in the spring of 2010, 87% of Chinese respondents said they were satisfied with the way things were going in their country, Pew says. Just 28% of Egyptians said the same, compared with 69% who were dissatisfied with their country’s direction. In both countries these findings were closely linked to views on the economy: 91% of Chinese characterized their country’s economic situation as good, compared with only 20% of Egyptians who said the same. The number of Egyptians describing their country’s economic situation as good fell by more than half, from 53% in 2007. The contrast was even more apparent, Pew says, when examining personal satisfaction over time. In the 2010 survey, the organization asked survey respondents to place themselves on a zero-to-10 scale it called the “ladder of life,” with zero representing the worst possible life and 10 representing the best. By this measure, China and Egypt scored almost identically, with 63% of Egyptians and 62% of Chinese rating their lives between a four and a six ( PDF ). (Americans appeared vastly more satisfied, with 64% giving their lives scores between seven and 10.) The difference appeared when respondents were asked to judge how far their lives had come and how far they were likely to progress in the future. Nearly two thirds of Chinese people said their lives had improved over the past five years, according to Pew, while an even larger 74% said they expected their lives would be better in another five. By contrast, only 18% of Egyptians felt their lives had improved over the past five years, while 40% expected things would get worse in the future. “The prevailing feeling in Egypt was one of losing ground,” the report says. “In fact, between 2007 and 2010, the number of Egyptians reporting a low quality of life doubled, suggesting that in the lead-up to this year’s popular revolt frustrations may have been mounting not only with respect to democratic yearnings, but in terms of personal aspirations.” In a blog post written not long before Hosni Mubarak stepped down, New Yorker China correspondent Evan Osnos, who lived in Cairo for two years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, described Egypt prior to the protests as “a nation in suspended animation” where “the dominant national characteristic was sclerosis.” China, he argued, is the opposite, “a place of constant, dizzying, churning change.” One recent change, which the Pew report doesn’t capture, is China’s rising inflation, which has been hovering stubbornly around 5% for the past several months. As one of China’s banks unwittingly pointed out when it posted an old newspaper clipping on its microblog last month, inflation was a pressing concern in China in the lead up to the 1989 protests on Tiananmen Square. Rising prices have led to some public grumbling over the ineffectiveness of government tightening measures, particularly when it comes to housing. That might have a damping effect on Chinese optimism about the future, although it bears noting that inflation in China has a long way to go before it matches the 20% clip it achieved in 1989. The Pew report acknowledges that it would be naïve to assume that economic growth alone is sufficient to ward off the sort of public rage that has roiled regimes in the Middle East. Indeed, Pew says, a robust economy might conceivably be part of the problem: “Arguably, widespread optimism in China could inflate popular expectations, which if unmet could lead to personal or social frustration.” Another segment of the organization’s 2010 survey found 80% of respondents in China supporting the idea that the environment should be protected even at the expense of jobs and economic growth – a possible sign that Chinese people have grown wealthy enough to turn their attention to issues other than their own financial situation. That said, Pew seems to believe China’s leaders don’t have to worry about facing a revolution any time soon. “It would be wrong to assume that the Chinese public is indifferent to the performance of their national or local governments,” the report says. “But the Chinese public’s overall state of mind is very distant from the pessimism that helped set the stage for massive protests in Egypt.” –Josh Chin. Follow him on Twitter @joshchin
With artist Ai Weiwei the latest dissident to be officially detained or simply disappear into the widening maw of China’s security crackdown following anonymous online calls for a “Jasmine Revolution,” a new report from the Pew Research Center bolsters arguments that Beijing is overreacting. Mr. Ai, an outspoken critic of the Chinese government, was taken into custody at the Beijing airport Sunday as he was about to board a flight for Hong Kong. He is the highest-profile figure yet to be caught up in a wave of arrests and detentions that many observers have interpreted as a preemptive strike against the possibility of Egypt-style popular unrest. Ever since Egyptian strongman Hosni Mubarak was toppled by a largely peaceful revolution in February, setting off speculation that the same could happen to leaders in Beijing, economists and skeptical China watchers have been at pains to point out that Chinese people as a whole are happier with their lives than Egyptians. The Pew report , based on the organization’s Global Attitudes survey , illustrates just how large that happiness differential is. The report starts off acknowledging that it’s difficult to get a clear read on the appetite for democracy in China, as: “Unlike in the Arab world, where opinion surveys have demonstrated public support for such basic democratic rights as free elections and freedom of speech, in China it is not possible to ask citizens about their views on democracy. The government won’t allow it.” But Pew argues that measuring personal and economic satisfaction, subjects that are allowed to be raised in surveys, enables some comparison. According to Pew’s survey, conducted in the spring of 2010, 87% of Chinese respondents said they were satisfied with the way things were going in their country, Pew says. Just 28% of Egyptians said the same, compared with 69% who were dissatisfied with their country’s direction. In both countries these findings were closely linked to views on the economy: 91% of Chinese characterized their country’s economic situation as good, compared with only 20% of Egyptians who said the same. The number of Egyptians describing their country’s economic situation as good fell by more than half, from 53% in 2007. The contrast was even more apparent, Pew says, when examining personal satisfaction over time. In the 2010 survey, the organization asked survey respondents to place themselves on a zero-to-10 scale it called the “ladder of life,” with zero representing the worst possible life and 10 representing the best. By this measure, China and Egypt scored almost identically, with 63% of Egyptians and 62% of Chinese rating their lives between a four and a six ( PDF ). (Americans appeared vastly more satisfied, with 64% giving their lives scores between seven and 10.) The difference appeared when respondents were asked to judge how far their lives had come and how far they were likely to progress in the future. Nearly two thirds of Chinese people said their lives had improved over the past five years, according to Pew, while an even larger 74% said they expected their lives would be better in another five. By contrast, only 18% of Egyptians felt their lives had improved over the past five years, while 40% expected things would get worse in the future. “The prevailing feeling in Egypt was one of losing ground,” the report says. “In fact, between 2007 and 2010, the number of Egyptians reporting a low quality of life doubled, suggesting that in the lead-up to this year’s popular revolt frustrations may have been mounting not only with respect to democratic yearnings, but in terms of personal aspirations.” In a blog post written not long before Hosni Mubarak stepped down, New Yorker China correspondent Evan Osnos, who lived in Cairo for two years as a reporter for the Chicago Tribune, described Egypt prior to the protests as “a nation in suspended animation” where “the dominant national characteristic was sclerosis.” China, he argued, is the opposite, “a place of constant, dizzying, churning change.” One recent change, which the Pew report doesn’t capture, is China’s rising inflation, which has been hovering stubbornly around 5% for the past several months. As one of China’s banks unwittingly pointed out when it posted an old newspaper clipping on its microblog last month, inflation was a pressing concern in China in the lead up to the 1989 protests on Tiananmen Square. Rising prices have led to some public grumbling over the ineffectiveness of government tightening measures, particularly when it comes to housing. That might have a damping effect on Chinese optimism about the future, although it bears noting that inflation in China has a long way to go before it matches the 20% clip it achieved in 1989. The Pew report acknowledges that it would be naïve to assume that economic growth alone is sufficient to ward off the sort of public rage that has roiled regimes in the Middle East. Indeed, Pew says, a robust economy might conceivably be part of the problem: “Arguably, widespread optimism in China could inflate popular expectations, which if unmet could lead to personal or social frustration.” Another segment of the organization’s 2010 survey found 80% of respondents in China supporting the idea that the environment should be protected even at the expense of jobs and economic growth – a possible sign that Chinese people have grown wealthy enough to turn their attention to issues other than their own financial situation. That said, Pew seems to believe China’s leaders don’t have to worry about facing a revolution any time soon. “It would be wrong to assume that the Chinese public is indifferent to the performance of their national or local governments,” the report says. “But the Chinese public’s overall state of mind is very distant from the pessimism that helped set the stage for massive protests in Egypt.” –Josh Chin. Follow him on Twitter @joshchin
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Pew: China Not Ripe for Revolution
China
Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
Chinese social media influencers have recently claimed that prominent Chinese-born Australian journalist Vicky Xu had posted a message saying she planned to return to China.
There is no evidence for this. The source did not provide evidence to support the claim, and Xu herself later confirmed to AFCL that she has no such plans.
Currently working as an analyst at the Australian Strategic Policy Institute, or ASPI, Xu has previously written for both the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, or ABC, and The New York Times.
A Chinese language netizen on X initially claimed on March 31 that the changing geopolitical relations between Sydney and Beijing had caused Xu to become an expendable asset and that she had posted a message expressing a strong desire to return to China. An illegible, blurred photo of the supposed message accompanied the post.
This claim was retweeted by a widely followed influencer on the popular Chinese social media site Weibo one day later, who additionally commented that Xu was a “traitor” who had been abandoned by Australian media.
Following the publication of an ASPI article in 2021 which exposed forced labor conditions in Xinjiang co-authored by Xu, the journalist was labeled “morally bankrupt” and “anti-China” by the Chinese state owned media outlet Global Times and subjected to an influx of threatening messages and digital abuse, eventually forcing her to temporarily close several of her social media accounts.
AFCL found that neither Xu’s active X nor LinkedIn account has any mention of her supposed return to China, and received the following response from Xu herself about the rumor:
“I can confirm that I don’t have plans to go back to China. I think if I do go back I’ll most definitely be detained or imprisoned – so the only career I’ll be having is probably going to be prison labor or something like that, which wouldn’t be ideal.”
Neither a keyword search nor reverse image search on the photo attached to the original X post turned up any text from Xu supporting the netizens’ claims.
Translated by Shen Ke. Edited by Shen Ke and Malcolm Foster.
Asia Fact Check Lab (AFCL) was established to counter disinformation in today’s complex media environment. We publish fact-checks, media-watches and in-depth reports that aim to sharpen and deepen our readers’ understanding of current affairs and public issues. If you like our content, you can also follow us on Facebook, Instagram and X.
Read the rest of this article here >>> Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
China
Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
Foreign residents in China can request a criminal record check from their local security bureau. This certificate may be required for visa applications or job opportunities. Requirements and procedures vary by city. In Shanghai, foreigners must have lived there for 180 days with a valid visa to obtain the certificate.
Foreign residents living in China can request a criminal record check from the local security bureau in the city in which they have lived for at least 180 days. Certificates of no criminal record may be required for people leaving China, or those who are starting a new position in China and applying for a new visa or residence permit. Taking Shanghai as an example, we outline the requirements for obtaining a China criminal record check.
Securing a Certificate of No Criminal Record, often referred to as a criminal record or criminal background check, is a crucial step for various employment opportunities, as well as visa applications and residency permits in China. Nevertheless, navigating the process can be a daunting task due to bureaucratic procedures and language barriers.
In this article, we use Shanghai as an example to explore the essential information and steps required to successfully obtain a no-criminal record check. Requirements and procedures may differ in other cities and counties in China.
Note that foreigners who are not currently living in China and need a criminal record check to apply for a Chinese visa must obtain the certificate from their country of residence or nationality, and have it notarized by a Chinese embassy or consulate in that country.
Foreigners who have a valid residence permit and have lived in Shanghai for at least 180 days can request a criminal record check in the city. This means that the applicant will also need to currently have a work, study, or other form of visa or stay permit that allows them to live in China long-term.
If a foreigner has lived in another part of China and is planning to or has recently moved to Shanghai, they will need to request a criminal record check in the place where they previously spent at least 180 days.
There are two steps to obtaining a criminal record certificate in Shanghai: requesting the criminal record check from the Public Security Bureau (PSB) and getting the resulting Certificate of No Criminal Record notarized by an authorized notary agency.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
China
China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
China unveiled a comprehensive action plan for upgrading industrial equipment, with a focus on driving technological innovation and economic growth. The plan, released on April 9, 2024, aims to enhance competitiveness and sustainability within the manufacturing sector through extensive investment and regulatory support.
China announced an ambitious action plan for industrial equipment upgrading, which aims to drive technological innovation and economic growth through extensive investment and regulatory support.
On April 9, 2024, China’s Ministry of Industry and Information Technology (MIIT) and six other departments jointly released a notice introducing the Implementation Plan for Promoting Equipment Renewal in the Industrial Sector (hereafter referred to as the “action plan”).
Finalized earlier on March 23, 2024, this comprehensive action plan addresses critical issues related to technological innovation and economic development. It reflects China’s proactive stance in enhancing competitiveness and sustainability within its manufacturing sector. The initiative underscores the recognition of industrial equipment upgrading as a top policy priority.
The scope of China’s action plan to upgrade industrial equipment in manufacturing, is extensive, covering various aspects such as:
In line with China’s ambitious goals for industrial modernization and sustainable development, the action plan outlines several key objectives aimed at driving substantial advancements in the industrial sector by 2027.
These objectives encompass a wide range of areas, from increasing investment to enhancing digitalization and promoting innovation, including:
The objectives and key actions proposed in the action plan are summarized below.
This article is republished from China Briefing. Read the rest of the original article.
China Briefing is written and produced by Dezan Shira & Associates. The practice assists foreign investors into China and has done since 1992 through offices in Beijing, Tianjin, Dalian, Qingdao, Shanghai, Hangzhou, Ningbo, Suzhou, Guangzhou, Dongguan, Zhongshan, Shenzhen, and Hong Kong. Please contact the firm for assistance in China at china@dezshira.com.
- Is journalist Vicky Xu preparing to return to China?
- Guide for Foreign Residents: Obtaining a Certificate of No Criminal Record in China
- China Unveils Plan to Upgrade Industrial Equipment
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- New Publication: A Guide for Foreign Investors on Navigating China’s New Company Law
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