China reeling under Zhang Xianzhong phenomenon

In recent times, violent incidents of "social reI taliation” (1) have become alarmingly frequent in China.

- R. DEEPAK

In November alone, many such incidents were reported 35 people killed and 43 injured in a sports complex in Zhuhai by a speeding car (November 11); 8 killed and 17 injured at Wuxi Technical School in Jiangsu by a stabber (November 16); 8 people injured in a hit and run case in Kaiping City, Jiangmen, Guangdong (November 10); 3 killed in Changsha Barbecue Restaurant (November 7), and 4 killed in a collision in Fangcheng, Nanyang, Henan Province (November 6).

The Zhuhai incident drew intervention from the highest level, as directives were issued by President Xi Jinping and Premier Li Qiang to the local authorities. Xi called on the local leadership "to learn from the incident, enhance the prevention of risks, resolve conflicts in a timely manner, and ensure the safety of the people and social stability." Other incidents that made headlines internationally were the killing of a Japanese student in Shenzhen on September 18, and injuries sustained by 4 US nationals in a knife attack in Jilin province on 11 June early this year. Though China remains a relatively safer society as far as law and order is concerned, nonetheless, acts of social retaliation have become alarmingly frequent and are collectively referred to as the "Zhang Xianzhong phenomenon" (K) by netizens.