On April 20th, a highly respected Hong Kong paper, The South China Morning Post, reported that there had been major riots in Cangnan county in Zhejiang province, not far from the major city of Wenzhou. The riot, it was said, was caused by local police officials who, it was rumored, had beaten a local man to death when he attempted to interfere with them as they argued with a street peddler.
I have been trying to understand those events since April 21, (it is now May 6th) more than two weeks since the events happened. I have found that every time I searched for and read new materials bearing upon the events, I had to substantially rewrite my draft. I began by sharply criticizing government behavior on the scene in China. Then, as I learned more, I saw that the events were much more complex than I had originally assumed.
Rather than abandon my research and several drafts, I decided instead to make the events an object lesson as to how the foreign observer might approach events such as these. I conclude with what I found to be two useful principles for better understanding local Chinese events.
First Impressions: Police Violence Provokes A Bloody Riot in Cangnan, China
The South China Morning Post (SCMP), a highly-regarded Hong Kong newspaper, reported on Sunday April 20 about a major incident in Lingxi City (灵溪) in Cangnan County (苍南县, a county subordinate to the prefectural city of Wenzhou 温州). This event occurred on Saturday, April 19. From the SCMP article which initially served as the source for most additional stories in other venues (See resources below):
(Begin direct quotes from SCMP) Five urban management officials (defined below as Chengguan 城管) in Zhejiang province were set upon and assaulted by hundreds of enraged locals angered by their law enforcement technique on Saturday, leaving two severely injured.
The violent conflict was triggered after a dispute between officials and an onlooker who attempted to take photos of them during their law enforcement in the small county of Cangnan. When the onlooker refused to delete photos, the officials allegedly began to assault him, drawing a large number of onlookers.
Angered by their violence, the crowd surrounded the officials and prevented them from leaving the scene. The tension further increased after internet rumours began circulating that they had beaten an onlooker to death.
Eventually the officials were forced to seek refuge in a van, according to eyewitnesses at the scene. Members of the crowd carrying sticks and stones then smashed the van and assaulted them through windows, they told South Metropolis Daily.
Photos and video clips uploaded online depicted bloody scenes with some officials reportedly laying unconscious inside the beseiged van.
Dozens of riot police officers were called to the scene to guard the van and keep the crowds at bay.
The situation calmed down later in the afternoon and the five injured officials were taken to a hospital, Cangnan county government said on its official news outlet. By Saturday evening two of the injured remained in a critical condition while a further three who suffered minor wounds received treatment. (End of quotation from SCMP)
For very graphic photographs of the violence, see the materials in the Libertycrier listed below. Additional reports suggested that Huang Xiangba (黄祥拔), said to be the individual who was first beaten by the Chengguan officers died at the scene, and an additional four of the officers themselves subsequently died.
Cangnan county (苍南县), with twenty towns and additional smaller townships, is about thirty miles southwest of the far better known Wenzhou City in Zhejiang province. (Wenzhou was initially sometimes described as the locus of these events. But Lingxi is approximately 30 miles from Wenzhou City). I have often written about Wenzhou, where I have taught for four to six weeks annually over six or seven years, and frequently visited there on behalf of Pacific University in Forest Grove, Oregon. For a general description of Wenzhou, you might start with the category of postings titled “Wenzhou Culture” in this blog. I am not familiar with Cangnan, but it is far less international than is Wenzhou.
For all of these reasons, I initially accepted the reports in the foreign press as accurate. Then as time went on, the situation became more complex. The supposed deceased victim of the police violence began giving interviews, as did his niece who observed the aftermath of the events. He was not in fact dead! For that matter he does not seem to have been critically injured. (See China Smack as well as BJnews for this material in sources below.)
The motivations of the police were initially represented as typical, almost random, violence in an authoritarian state. To better understand the situation facing the Chengguan, we must first look at the nature of the organization.
Who are the Chengguan?
The City Urban Administrative and Law Enforcement Bureau (城市管理行政执法局) in Chinese daily usage is usually shortened to Chengguan, meaning something like “City Officers”. They are a sort of low level police force (I do not believe them to routinely carry small arms, but I may be wrong on this.)/ They are tasked with the lowest-level of administrative issues in Chinese cities, enforcing permits, checking use of market space, environmental sanitation, etc. The Chengguan were created in municipalities and placed under city governments beginning in 2001. (See the English-language Wikipedia site listed below.)
In their short history the Chengguan have proven themselves to be highly controversial, often involved in public violence and frequently charged with corruption. This is perhaps because, as the lowest-level of legal authority in Chinese cities, they are also regarded as the least authoritative, but at the same time have to manage a wide variety of usually petty issues. I think also that they are unusually susceptible to corruption, for reasons discussed later.
Chinese people, despite the stereotypes, are quick to respond to what they feel to be inappropriate use of authority. My wife, Christine, and I have seen a number of savage arguments between small entrepreneurs and the Chengguan, whose attempts to enforce minor laws are often viewed as the mere hassling of innocents. In cities as crowded as Chinese cities are, arguments between citizens and authorities can very quickly get out of hand. These officers have not only been accused of public attacks like that in Cangnan, but even of interfering with the attempts of higher-level Police bureaus to enforce the law.
The region around Wenzhou is relatively wealthy. The province of Zhejiang is said to be the richest in all of China, and the people of Wenzhou and surrounding towns, increasingly populated by those working in Wenzhou itself, are thought of as very wealthy. In the midst of this wealth, however, there are also many highly alienated Nongmingong ( 农民工) or migrant laborers, working under difficult conditions, far from home, and easily exploited by local officials. (See Goodbye Crazy Jane in this site.)
Wenzhou also is marked by a condition which might well surprise many Westerners, given common preconceptions about Chinese totalitarian government. The Communist Party presence and its influence are said to be very light in Wenzhou. Locals delight in telling a story that goes like this:
“Just after the revolution in 1949, we were approached by the Communist Party who said to us: “We have good news and we have bad news for the people of Wenzhou. The bad news is that because you are right across from Taiwan, if there is a nuclear war, Wenzhou will be obliterated. The good news is, as a result, there is not going to be an important Party presence in Wenzhou. You are on your own!”
And with that lighter Party supervision, whatever its sources, the Wenzhouese were perhaps the first Chinese to be free to benefit following the “opening” of the Chinese economy. Wenzhou, as a port city, had earlier enjoyed close ties to Europe. These ties grew stronger in the late 20th century. Wenzhou quickly became a node in the production chains for the Italian fashion industry, and for German light industries looking for cheaper sources of both machine tools and well-produced parts. Soon Wenzhou was a major light industrial center with regularly scheduled flights to major European cities.
Paradoxically, the lack of a strong central governmental organization, however, sometimes encourages corruption in Wenzhou and the surrounding area. One reason for the success of the Chinese Communist Revolution was that the Party promised to provide a sort of counterweight for the greedy and aggressive local notables of rural China.
In a twisted way this is not unlike the traditional American notion of the national government as a counter-weight to powerful and wealthy corporate interests which often have firm control of local and state, or in the Chinese case, provincial, governments. The land and housing prices of the Wenzhou area are notoriously inflated, which means that farmers are often subject to almost outright confiscation of their land for industrial purposes, and the much-needed migrant laborers are particularly miserable.
Attempts by provincial and national authorities to enforce legal or procedural changes in China frequently do not seem to penetrate local areas. The local elite may or may not pay lip service to reform practices, but pretty much go on their own way.
So far as policing is concerned, the influence of national authorities upon local authorities often seems minimal. The situation is reminiscent of traditional China. The most significant local representative of national authority was the county magistrate. This man, however, could not really govern without the acquiescence, if not the assistance, of the local Confucian notables, the same group from which both he and his ancestors in all probability had sprung. These wanted to maximize their families’ interests, which frequently included bullying and exploiting the local peasantry.
The tripwire for higher authorities, at either the provincial or national level, was relative peace, or at least the appearance of it. So long as the local magistrate kept violence or discord from coming to the attention of the higher authorities, there were unlikely to be any complaints from above. Particularly so long as additional government resources, especially troops, did not need to be called upon, then a surprisingly high level of disorder could be tolerated. The local magistrate used his own small almost informal forces, not that different from the Chengguan.
Unquestionably, local authorities, both in the past and in the present, pay much more attention to the interest of locally powerful individuals than to those of individual citizens. While the fate of Huang Xiangba, who was initially said to have been beaten to death for filming Chengguan behavior is certainly highly unusual, the zeal with which the Chengguan enforced their wishes in the market was definitely not. Such zeal is often understood by all parties to be intended to generate a bribe.
Since the Chengguan are the force most likely to conflict with street peddlers, local businessmen, and the poorer citizens of Chinese society, they are also those most likely to meet open hostility in their policing, and to have frequent opportunities for small levels of bribery and corruption. For their part, the Chengguan doubtless think of themselves as highly insulated from accountability for their behavior. To the degree that Chinese cities run at all, it is largely the responsibility of the Chengguan, and higher levels of authority are quick to look the other way when inappropriate force is used, so long as it does not come to the attention of higher authorities at the provincial or national levels.
Authorities in Cangnan were unusually tense at the time of the events. Cangnan was being evaluated for designation as a “provincial-level model county city.” (See China Smack site below which has a good level of detail on this and other administrative issues.) For county-cities like Cangnan, these titles are not only a matter of enormous civic pride, but also encourage investment and the construction of bedroom communities for the highly desired commuters working in Wenzhou offices and factories. All of these opportunities primarily benefit the local wealthy.
An inspection tour by provincial authorities tied to the competition for the title was imminent at the time the incidents occurred. The Chengguan in Linxi were charged with the unenviable task of cleaning up traffic in several major roads, including a morning market that was contributing greatly to the congestion. These markets are frequently huge affairs covering several blocks of fixed businesses. At rush hours, however, roughly morning, noon, and early evening, pushcarts and street peddlers show up and business expands way beyond the formal market establishments. Business spills out first onto the sidewalks, then not uncommonly into one or more traffic lanes. Even the relatively small market near my room became so rowdy at peak hours that I usually had to cross the street a block or so above or below the market to get to my bus stop.
In Cangnan, the officers were apparently arguing vociferously with a street peddler who was blocking traffic while operating on the street by a major market.
The Causes of the Riot
It is important to be aware that in many local incidents in China, details are often elusive and frequently incorrect. The local government, of course, has every interest in quickly clamping down not only on sources of discord, but on reporting as well. The sources I utilized in the next few weeks range from clearly Chinese government-influenced to just as clearly sources ultimately dedicated to the overthrow of the Chinese government. These lead to a welter of interpretations of events.
There are already several alternative views of the incidents described here. There is not even a clear accounting of deaths and injuries. The man supposedly beaten to death was subsequently interviewed. (See China Smack as well as BJnews for this material.)
However, according to early accounts, this riot apparently began when the Chengguan started hassling a woman selling in the market area, a street vendor who was blocking traffic. Wang began filming the incident, and somebody, either one of the Chengguan initially involved in the incident or another Chengguan officer, began beating him, it was said, with with what looks in photographs to be a long-handled heavy sledge hammer. This hammer was pictured in a number of the reports of the events. It is a construction sledge; but in his interviews Wang states that he was initially slapped then beaten. He never mentions the sledge, and no wonder—it is hard to see him walking away from even the lightest of blows from that tool.
Then the story went out on the Chinese Internet, complete with reports of Wang’s death and pictures of him lying on the ground bleeding from the nose, and of the sledge. Chinese people are quite savvy with Smart Phones and routinely us a messaging service called “QQ.” Reports began flying around the local area and quickly went national. Wang was said to have subsequently died en route to the hospital in early accounts.
The crowd which gathered quickly, fueled by what we now know to be rumors, became violent and in turn attacked the Chengguan. The photographs of the incident show the interior of the vehicle in which the Chengguan sought refuge to be splashed with blood on every surface. Unrest grew and it appears that the area was out of control for most of a day. Tear gas was used—perhaps in restricted amounts, I have seen no photographs of clouds of tear gas—and at least one police car was trashed. Very large groups of regular police were then brought in and broke up the crowds by occupying major streets.
What Can We Conclude?
From my own laborious attempts to understand the events, I must sympathize with anyone who had to report it on the fly. It is no wonder that most interpretations went for the easy trope: “violent cops have done it again in an authoritarian China”. In fact, both local, provincial and national sources were quick to denounce the Chengguan provocations, though ten “troublemakers” were arrested. Even The China Daily, widely regarded as the outlet of officially sanctioned news, ran a critical editorial “End Incidents Involving Chengguan Officers” within three days:
Part of the difficulty of understanding the events is the welter of interest groups involved. Even in the most remote corner of China, any event is grist for the international news mills, particularly if it involves what can be thought of as political violence. Given the issues raised in this post numerous interest groups became involved and, we believe, quickly adopted perspectives which confirmed their own political stance rather than waiting to better understand events.
Among such sources reporting on the events in Cangnan was Radio Free Asia, which reported the supposed murder victim as a “citizen journalist” which immediately makes the issue a wider one of freedom of information and presents it as one of much wider importance than perhaps it merits, given that the victim was apparently roughed up rather than beaten to death. Radio Free Asia presents itself as ” …a private, nonprofit corporation that broadcasts news and information to listeners in Asian countries where full, accurate, and timely news reports are unavailable.” However, as stated in its “15th Anniversary Resolution” they also “offer appreciation to the Congress of the United States for funding.”
The Epoch Times, the organ of the world-wide Fa Lun Gong movement, which depending on your point of view is either an oppressed Chinese Buddhist sect or an elaborate pyramid scheme which may be operating from some other planet, also ran with the original reports, adding to them a list of other examples of Chengguan violence. Interestingly, one of the first comments on the Epoch Times piece compared events in China with recent events in Nevada, suggesting that “…our (American) citizens need to deal with the thugs in our police the same way.” Globalism marches on.
On the Left was Revolution News, which as best I can tell, is ultimately anarchist in its stance and reports news of international events relating to any and all challenges to state authority anywhere, for any cause. Perhaps this is a worth-while activity, but it too failed to update its article as important additional facts emerged.
WHAT IS LIKELY TO BE THE OUTCOME OF THESE EVENTS?
Paradoxically, events involving the Chengguan such as these are likely to result in an extension of central governmental authority at the expense of local authority. The China Daily Editorial is an important one. The Chengguan are particularly vulnerable to corruption, and give the cover of law to local elites who are likely to be expanding their own interests outside the law. Chinese attempts to break the corrupt links between local authorities and local businesspeople ultimately depend in part upon reforming the Chengguan and bringing it under more direct central government supervision.
HOW CAN WE BETTER UNDERSTAND EVENTS SUCH AS THESE?
For me, the following principles emerged as I tried to follow the events:
1) Any newsworthy events occurring in China are inherently political. The widely varying reports on the incident suggest that we would do well not to jump too quickly to conclusions about events which are reported on the WWW, particularly those found in relatively isolated areas in China.
2) The Internet is a wonderful tool for Chinese reformers or dissidents. It is also a source of the most outlandish stories and rumors which can be imagined.
2) Still, it is important to attempt to keep all governments honest and in the era of the World Wide Web, we all have increased leverage to do so. However, we also have an obligation to do our best to winnow out conflicting reports and to update mistaken information which we have reported. It is critically important that early interpretations of events initially be read while suspending judgement. I like to believe that truths will eventually emerge from the welter of reports, but I also fear that there many events (occurring in the U.S. as well as in China) will never be fully understood.
Resources
Initial Reports in South China Morning Post:http://www.scmp.com/news/china-insider/article/1491428/chengguan-officials-seriously-injured-after-assault-large-crowd
Wikipedia: http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E5%9F%8E%E5%B8%82%E7%AE%A1%E7%90%86%E8%A1%8C%E6%94%BF%E6%89%A7%E6%B3%95%E5%B1%80 Chinese Wikipedia page on the Chengguan. English translation found at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/City_Urban_Administrative_and_Law_Enforcement_Bureau
Radio Free Asia report found at: http://www.rfa.org/english/news/china/chengguan-04212014145117.html Radio Free Asia home page is found at: www.rfa.org. The two quotations in the description of the agency are found on the home page and at “about” and in the “15th Anniversary Resolution.”
For anti-communist accounts see: http://www.ntd.tv/en/programs/news-politics/china-forbidden-news/20140423/131510-urban-management-staff-chengguan-beaten-public-anger-at-zhengjiang-police-arresting-people.html
http://www.theepochtimes.com/n3/631875-chinese-crowd-furious-besets-chengguan-in-eastern-city/
bjnews: For perhaps pro-government accounts see: http://epaper.bjnews.com.cn/html/2014-04/21/content_507625.htm?div=-1 In these materials, unfortunately in Chinese only as best I can determine, the supposed victim Huang Xiangba 黄祥拔 tells his own story and minimizes his injuries. The China Smack article overlaps with this piece.
China Smack is found at http://www.chinasmack.com/2014/stories/chinese-chengguan-surrounded-beaten-bloody-by-angry-crowd.html
http://shanghaiist.com/2014/04/21/rioting-crowd-beats-5-chengguan-for-killing-civillian.php
Very graphic photos are found at: http://libertycrier.com/china-violent-government-thugs-beaten-death-angry-crowds-killed-man-documenting-brutality/ This is a Libertarian-Anarchist publication as best I can judge…
China Daily, May 22, 2014. “End Incidents Involving Chengguan Officers.” http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/opinion/2014-04/22/content_17452101.htm
For map of Cangnan and Wenzhou region see: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Cangnan,+Wenzhou,+Zhejiang/@27.2307376,120.0006802,8z/data=!4m2!3m1!1s0x3445cdcfe5f020e9:0xf35e4c51af5da657
Chinatripper 