China - Comparing Environmental Policies in 16 Countries - page 273

counted over 87,000 per year. Most are small, but occasionally more than a
thousand people demonstrate. Only a few are environmental. Many stem
from police brutality. Yu points to encroachment of the interests of rising
middle class in the name of economic development projects as the cause.
Land grabs and corruption are typical targets. He believes the mass inci-
dents have gained publicity and support due to easier communications
with the Internet. 17 His numbers show a 10-fold increase in the past decade.
Evidence of ordinary people joining environmental protests as a safe means
of opposing the government, as in Russia and Eastern Europe, seems slight.
Extreme air pollution in Beijing in January 2013 attracted global attention.
The Air Quality Index hit 755. A reading above 100 is considered “unhealthy
for sensitive groups” and anything above 400 is rated “hazardous” for
everyone. The index does not even go above 500 normally. 19 The munici-
pality ordered factories closed and automobiles off the road, but it was
not enough. Other cities in the north faced similar pollution. Top party
officials could not ignore the crisis. A common explanation of Chinese
politics is that the middle class will accept bad government, corruption,
and secrecy as long as the prosperity continues; the economic boom has
lasted three decades. But this was too much. Tens of thousands com-
plained on the Internet and Twitter. A few newspapers even wrote edi-
torials criticizing the party. In response, Xi Jinping, who became party
general secretary two months before, allowed the state news media to run
in-depth reports on the air pollution crisis. 19
CONCLUSION
Participation by ordinary citizens is slight in China. Voting is not a means
since there are no free elections. Public marches and rallies are extremely
rare and small, and few are to protect the environment. The exceptions are
only a handful: 200 people marched in Chengdu, 500 protested in Haining,
and a few thousand demonstrated in Dalian. Protesting against seizing
land and houses for real estate development is much more common.
Interest groups are numerous but small, and the prohibition on branches
and the requirement for government sponsorship greatly limits their
strength. They do not influence legislation and policy the way groups in
the West do. At some future time, their multitude may enable them to