China Crime
Is crime increasing in China, particularly in the big cities? Yes, according to the Associated Press. This also agrees with the other anecdotal evidence one has been hearing from the usual sources in recent months, both from the expat grapevine as well as online chatter on the Chinese BBSs. I dimly recall someone also telling me that the courts are unusually busy as well, but I can’t confirm that one.
Lots of stories about muggings, murders, etc. Some lovely grisly details to fuel the stories, and there you have it. We don’t have statistics to point to, so that’s about as far as we can take things.
So what to make of all this? Well, there are a lot more foreigners and rich folks running around – this is the AP’s explanation. Not sure that this makes a lot of sense. Been a lot of expats here for a long time, and the whole ultra-rich thing did not start in 2007/8.
Is unemployment going up? That does seem to be the case, and the government expects that this will increase quite dramatically this year. Food and energy prices are spiking – that’s certainly a good reason for someone to steal a purse or wallet. Income inequality keeps getting worse, and that tends to piss off the masses. That all sounds reasonable to me as an explanation, provided that there really is a problem. I’ve also heard that this is a bigger issue down in places like Shenzhen than it is up here, which is interesting.
Anyone have an opinion on this or, better yet, some real information?
Stan,
Reading this story, I can only feel that the reporter is grasping a bit to bring the story together.
While in BJ, and while here, there is definately a higher risk of petty crime around the national holidays as people are making their way home, but one rarely hears of violent crimes.
IN the case of kidnappings, every case I have heard to date either involved a HK/ TW manager being held for ransom or a group of foreign managers being held in a factory office as a result of employee unrest (factory closings/ potential layoffs).
For those who end up in a cafe with two girls and a 1000USD pot of tea, or decided to actually temp fate with the more professional variety, that is a self inflicted wound. I won’t say they deserved it, but by thinking with the little guy… they surely increased the likelihood that something was going to happen.
Xi’an however was different, and I will admit that I was a bit concerned. I can only feel that the guy must have been totally out of options and this was an act of desperation… and I think this is where the questions of unemployment, inflation, equality, etc become so important.
R
Hmm.. More foreigners = more crime. Shouldn’t there be a very simple solution to the crime problem ?
Or, didn’t crime increase ever since Mao died ? If Mao can be resurrected..