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CCP Handbook for the Chengguan

In China, the unpopular Chengguan are local government enforcers who deal with low-level crime. They check street vendors permits, prevent unlicensed stalls from being set up, check cab permits and "keep the peace" in general. Sometimes their interventions cause people to end up with people in the hospital or dead.

Recently a local government official posted portions of a handbook for the City Administration Bureau, published by the National School of Administration Press, entitled "The Practice of City Administrator Law Enforcement" online after having purchased the volume in a government bookstore. Excerpts from the book were then published in a newspaper.

According to the Southern Metropolis Daily newspaper, an official confirmed the training manual as genuine, confirming its use in official training sessions. This has led to public discussion and outrage on the internet.

Some details from the guide:

"Do not use violent methods to enforce the law in front of the public. If you cannot avoid the presence of spectators, you should employ more moderate efforts."

"Plan and make moves against violent resisters of law enforcement. You must pay attention to make sure that no blood is visible on the face, no wounds are observable on the body and no witnesses are around. You should complete your action in one rapid action sequence. You should not leave any trails. Once you decide to go ahead, you must act cleanly without any hesitation. You must apply full force."

"Several officials should always act together. Make sure to leave no blood on the opponent’s face, no wounds on the body, and no witnesses in the vicinity. Be calm and focused. Be a firm public official."

"Do not consider whether you are a match for the subject, whether you will harm the subject, or how long it will take for the resistance to subside. You must achieve a state of unawareness and become a resolute law enforcer staunchly protecting the dignity of city administrative regulations."

An unnamed vendor reported that bribery usually took care of the Chengguan, while another explained, "The problem is that many hawkers are doing this because they have nothing else. So when the Chengguan confiscate their goods, they put up a fight. That's why they get beaten up."

At the same time that local law enforcement is encouraged to act as dehumanized ninja robots, and unknown millions of jobless rural migrant workers desperately seek to somehow make a living, the 2009 China Private Wealth Report reports that the number of multimillionaires in mainland China expanded to circa 300,000 in 2008, and may grow by another 20,000 in 2009.

At the same time, China consumed $8.6 billion worth of luxury goods from 1 December 2007 to 31 January 2009. China is now in second place (between no.1 Japan and No. 3 U.S.) as a consumer of luxury goods, according to the World Luxury Association.

Luxury sales fell 20% in Europe and 25% in the US this year, but only 5% in China. They predict that China will become the biggest consumer of luxury goods by 2015, projecting that they will represent 32% of the market.

The China Daily reports that "struggling high-end retailers, such as Bulgari and Swatch, may start to see the country as a haven."

Sources:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/china/5199325/Chinese-police-training-manual-offers-tips-on-the-best-way-to-beat-up-offenders.html
http://en.chinaelections.org/NewsInfo.asp?NewsID=20161
http://epaper.nddaily.com/A/html/2009-04/22/content_767607.htm
http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/asia/article6150377.ece
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8015221.stm
http://www.danwei.org/front_page_of_the_day/chengguan_seriously_wounded_in.php
http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/world/2009/0425/1224245378361.html
http://zonaeuropa.com/200904a.brief.htm#016
http://en.ce.cn/Life/news/200904/01/t20090401_18678379.shtml
http://www.chinadailyusa.com/news_article.aspx?item_id=150&AspxAutoDetectCookieSupport=1

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