The government of Hebei province, long China's largest steel producer and one of northern China's major sources of pollution, published a statement Tuesday vowing to better enforce environmental regulations and improve air, water and soil quality. On the same day, the United Front Work Department, whose goal is to mobilize support for the central government across all segments of society, announced the formation of the 8th Bureau to solidify support from a "new social class," a key component of which is Chinese staff at private sector and foreign-owned firms.
Though on the surface unrelated, both developments shed light on the evolving relationship between the wishes and interests of China's central state and the messy realities of local political and economic life across the country. They also paint a portrait of two Chinas, separated not only by geography but also by radically different socio-economic circumstances, and, in turn, of the different approaches...
