The Read International for 11/20/08: China's Government Concerned As Job Losses Increase In The Far East
Photo from BBC.com Definitely a story lost in amidst of our numerous problems here and our change in governmental leadership is what is taking place over in China. The BBC reports today that the Chinese government is very weary of the continued growth in unemployment taking afoot in their country. Chinese leaders are already warning that an economic downturn could lead to further protests by those facing financial hardships. It could also undermine the Chinese leadership, whose legitimacy has been built on improving living standards. Believe it or not, protests have become the norm. Meng Jianzhu, minister of public security, this week warned the police to be "fully aware of the challenges brought by the global financial crisis". He said officers should be careful about how they handle "mass incidents", Beijing's euphemism for protests by ordinary people. These protests are common in China, although they are often isolated incidents sparked by particular local g...