China battles rare wave of violent crime as economic woes bite

China's economic struggles lead to violent crimes, sparking debate on societal issues and government response to unrest.

China's economic malaise is fuelling social tensions that make people more likely to commit violent crimes out of anger or desperation, analysts say, after the country witnessed its deadliest massacre in a decade.

The country has experienced a spate of violent attacks this year, challenging Beijing's proud reputation for public order and prompting online soul-searching about the state of society.

On Monday (November 11, 2024), a man ploughed a car into crowds at a sports complex in the southern city of Zhuhai, killing 35 and wounding 43, according to official figures.

It followed a string of similar crimes as China struggles to revive economic growth, keep people employed and boost confidence since it ended rigid Covid curbs in late 2022.

"The recent spate of violent attacks in China is a reflection of its worsening social and macroeconomic conditions," said Hanzhang Liu, an assistant professor of political studies at Pitzer College in the United States.

"Although these incidents are sporadic in nature, the increasing frequency at which they happen does suggest that more people in China are suffering from hardships and desperation that they have not previously experienced," she told AFP.

Signs of economic distress have multiplied in China in recent years, from capital flight and emigration to rising joblessness, anger at expensive housing and childcare, and youth cultures glorifying low expectations and rejecting the rat race.