According to an article by the Times Online, there have being widespread unrest in China since the current economic recession started.
According to the report, "In southern China, hundreds of workers blocked a highway to protest against pay cuts imposed by managers. At several factories, there were scenes of chaos as police were called to stop creditors breaking in to seize equipment in lieu of debts.
In northern China, television journalists were punished after they prepared a story on the occupation of a textile mill by 6,000 workers. Furious local leaders in the city of Linfen said the news item would “destroy social stability” and banned it. "
To me, it is really no surprise that there is some form of social unrest. with tens of thousands of factories closing down or already closed, the results are obviously the millions of pent-up workers being laid off.
However, that being said, I feel that this report exaggerates the extent of social unrest. I was up in China recently and did not find the extent of unrest to be as widespread. Besides most of the factories powering the export market of China has being ongoing since last year and if anything were closing down since last July onwards. I believe that the impact has being spread across the past few months.
There is a definite problem brewing but not to the extent that was reported. The press in Hong Kong i feel would have reported much more of this if such "riots" and "unrest" were as prevalent. Still it does make you think hard about whether China can really sustain its current projected growth and appease their massive population
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