China Rethinks Unrest

In comments reprinted Jan. 26 by the official Xinhua news agency, a Chinese Ministry of Public Security official recently vowed to "strike hard against all sorts of terrorist activities and resolutely protect state security and social stability." The statement came amid another annual rise in public disturbances in China, and follows a December incident in which security officials shot and killed protesters in Shanwei, Guangdong. The Shanwei incident may well have represented the turning point for a Chinese government facing significant internal troubles.