Beijingers agree with Beijing Daily‘s position on stability: they’re all for it!

Beijing Daily, March 7, 2011

The Beijing Daily published two front-page editorials over the weekend calling on the general public to do their part to work for stability. As it continued to push the stability theme in a front-page local news story, today’s paper referred several times to the “strong response and resonance” its editorials had generated among Beijing residents.

Referring to the call for weekend protests in China’s major cities, both Saturday’s “Conscientiously preserve social harmony and stability” (see the translation at China Media Project) and Sunday’s “Preserving stability starts with each person” speak repeatedly of the efforts of “people with ulterior motives” to destabilize China.

Saturday’s piece declared that “the masses are fiercely displeased” at the “farce.” To illustrate the consensus of the masses, today’s article, “Preserving social stability and harmony begins with me,” presents reactions from ordinary people from all walks of life, paraphrased in language that echoes the original editorials.

• Ma Huimin (马慧敏): a party member in her seventies. “She clearly sees the essence of those people with ulterior motives who recently have incited illegal gatherings, and said she would not trust rumors, spread rumors, look on, or participate.”
• Deng Haihong (邓海红), an employee of Beijing Jeep who has been in the work force for two decades, applauded the editorials. “He said that so long as we all conscientiously safeguard social harmony and stability, the people with ulterior motives inside and outside China will have no chance.”
• Zhao Yi (赵轶), a software developer of four years, said, “Only in an excellent overall situation of stability, unity, and harmony can young talent like us show off our abilities and plan and realize a better future.”
• Liu Fengzhen (刘凤珍) of Xicheng District received her senior citizen card last year and is enjoying the benefits it brings: free admission to parks, medical compensation. “Without a stable country, where will ordinary people find so many beneficial policies?”
• Speaking for Beijing’s rural residents, Yang Xiuqi (杨秀齐), a 62-year-old farmer, explained how he was able to take advantage of new rural medical policies to avoid paying 70,000 to 80,000 to treat his uremia six years ago.
• Lu Yaohua (卢耀华), a computer science student at the Beijing Institute of Technology, “had his own ideas about the people with ulterior motives inside and outside China who attempted to stir up so-called ‘street politics’. He said, as college students, we ought to keenly recognize the nature of the people who have ulterior motives to incite unrest, and starting with ourselves, safeguard social harmony and stability.”

Today’s top headline reports on the latest lianghui news: Hu Jintao, Wu Bangguo, Jia Qinglin, and Xi Jinping took part in various discussions. In the photo, President Hu meets with the delegation from Tibet.