It has long been established that the CCP’s main goal of Chinese society is to maintain “Harmony and Stability” due to the deep-rooted social inequality and repressed groups in the nation. The system of “Chengguan” (urban management) is one of many devices implemented by CCP to reinforce its political control over residents in the city and probably the most infamous one so far.
Originated in 1996 and developed in the early 20th century, the system oversees the environmental, traffic, business and other issues that might appear in urban development. One of the most prominent issues that the system deals with is hawkers. CCP and the government believe that hawkers in urban area cause severe environmental and food safety problems therefore are determined to regulate these small business on the streets and Chengguan plays an important role in the process. Since hawkers often run their business in the most populated areas in the city, they can be easily tracked by Chengguan. Though Chengguan officers do not have the power to arrest the hawkers, they may fine the owners under Law of the People’s Republic of China on Administrative Penalty. Needless to say that most of the hawkers are reluctant or even unable to pay these fine because they can barely cover their expenses running these stalls. So every time when Chengguan officers show up, hawkers would pack their things and run as the officers chased after them. Those who are not unable to run may negotiate with Chengguan officers, hoping the officers can spare them the penalties. This oftentimes leads to argument or even violent conflicts.
During the early age of social media in China when censorship in online platforms was not abundant, there were many videos of Chengguan officers chasing and beating hawkers violently. These videos were widely circulated in Weibo and other social media and given enormous attention because of the brutal acts of Chengguan officers. They usually showcased a group of officers surrounding a hawker, questioning the legitimacy of his/her business and when the hawker did not comply to the penalty and tried to argue with the officers, they would pin him/her down until the hawker comply. These cases happened every day in the cities of China and one case stood out because of its extreme violence and its social influence. In 2009, Xia Junfeng, a hawker who sold barbecue food in Shenyang, was rounded up and taken to the Administration of Urban Management for penalty because he run the business without a license. In the Administration, he stabbed two Chengguan officers with a small knife, causing their deaths and fled the scene. He was then arrested and trialed. After multiple appeals, the court maintain the initial verdict and sentenced Xia to death.
The case generated vigorous discussion on the Internet. Netizens criticized the Chengguan system for being rigid and inhumane. Many thought Xia was a martyr that stood against the totalitarianism and state power of CCP. Other believed that the deaths of the two officers were expendable victims under meaningless pursuit of “Harmony and Stability”. Indeed, with the constant coverage of officers acting violently towards powerless hawkers, the term “Chengguan” has become the symbol of power abuse. Though we must not forget the institute that gives them such power and the fact that these officers were merely following the rules set by the state. Yet Chengguan officers become the outlets for ordinary people to express their resentment towards the government and the scapegoats for all the social problem(that we could observe).
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