Having recently returned to China after a year and a half stint in Mexico, I thought the sight of batons and riot police were a thing of my past; something I could leave in Mexico, something that had no place in what I knew to be nonchalant Chinese safekeeping.
Instead, I am taken aback at how the government very visibly and undeniably displays power in a way that lets it be known, to me at least, that the semi-lawless days of China have, for better or worse, come to a grinding halt. Gone are the mutinous days one could commandeer taxis or bribe police with imported cigarettes. Spent are the times we would get drunk with the police and drive around in the police car mistaking pavements for roads! Over are moments of unchecked and brash behaviour. No more easy visas for us, no no! If you leave China these days make sure you are not returning, as it’s as difficult as cracking Fort Knox.
Changes in Nanjing’s security came with the 2014 Youth Olympics and have stuck around and it is unmistakably a lot “visibly safer” in Nanjing nowadays than it has ever been before.
Not so long ago, the police were as useful as banging your head against a brick wall. I used to live on the outskirts of Nanjing, a place where they would lounge around in flip flops and unbuttoned shirts, handing out cigarettes to the first person they met with a problem, hoping that the offering would solve any possible disputes.
As placid as they were, it seemed as if they never did much at all. These days the police look as if they belong in the favelas of Brazil, not the streets of Nanjing, so why, oh why, the change?
Some reason that it is a good way to provide jobs for the uneducated and unemployable. Others argue that in order for Nanjing to catch up to Shanghai or other first tier cities, a change in development brings with it a slow but steady change in sectors such as security. Folks have even contested that it could be a brash show of power designed by the government in order to keep people in check; whatever the reason, security in Nanjing is no longer a laughing matter.
Police emerge marching in formation up and down streets, brandishing their batons and waving about bulletproof shields. Are they preparing for an attack? What imminent danger could the good people of Nanjing possibly be in? If this was a European country then constant threat of terrorism could provide an answer, but this is a country that is under no so-called ISIS threat. So what could it be? Could it be a fear of homegrown terrorism? China has seen a number of knife attacks in recent years at primary schools and train stations, supposedly born from the Uighur area. In addition, a bomb recently exploded at Shanghai’s Pudong airport, stirring up even more cause for concern.
An increase in security measures can be seen everywhere, from police observing people on morning and afternoon buses, to them riding the metro. Bag checks are now compulsory for every person wishing to ride the metro, traffic police can be seen intercepting and randomly pulling over drivers, cross checking for information as well as random ID checks in metro stations.
An anonymous Nanjing local is of the opinion that, “Now the city has too many people; a lot more people from all over China are moving to Nanjing. The government only wishes to keep it safer for the people”. Recently, Nanjing parents staged a frustrated protest about high school graduates. It was large and confrontational enough for the government to put a sharp end to it; by bundling wailing mothers into the back of police vans.
Freedom of speech may be painfully non-existent, but in the past, China managed to retain her grip from behind closed curtains. Today the police appear to be exercising power in ever more public ways.
In addition to physical checks in public places, Nanjing has seen an increase in pop up police stations scattered about the various neighbourhoods and districts. Again, these police stations are hardly needed considering the (often empty) stations that already exist. Subtle demonstration of power? Or a demonstration of better security?
With the economy on the slow down, China could be increasing security measures in preparation for enraged citizens looking to blame someone for their losses. On the other hand, as Nanjing plays catch up with Shanghai and becomes a first tier international city, inevitably she will endeavour to provide better civil service to the city, whether for righteous or profitable gain.
The more China modernises and develops, the more she will want to protect and keep the peace, or maybe this all just comes part and parcel with growth and development. Yet, as with most government actions, we are simply left to ponder, why?
This article was first published in The Nanjinger Magazine, August 2016 issue. If you would like to read the whole magazine, please follow this link.
