SHANGHAI RESIDENTS PROTEST MAGLEV EXTENSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 SHANGHAI 000019 SIPDIS SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR EAP/CM AND DRL/PHD NSC FOR TONG E.O. 12958: DECL: 1/16/2033 TAGS: PHUM PGOV ELTN CH SUBJECT: SHANGHAI RESIDENTS PROTEST MAGLEV EXTENSION REF: SHANGHAI 18 CLASSIFIED BY: Christopher Beede, Political/Economic Section Chief, U.S. Consulate General, Shanghai, China, Department of State. REASON: 1.4 (b),(d) ¶1. (C) Summary. Large-scale demonstrations on January 12 and 13 against the Shanghai government's plans to extend the Maglev train line have not only highlighted dissatisfaction by Shanghai residents over the government's plans, but is an example of local residents using public means to press for their rights. The Shanghai government has posted the Maglev extension plans on its website and listed a phone number, email address and fax number for comments. It has urged residents to make their opinions known through these legal channels and promised to seriously consider people's opinions. Local contacts downplayed the government's assurances and doubted that it would change its plans because of public opposition. They also noted that the residents decided to stage the protests because past attempts to use legal means to influence the government on this issue have been unsuccessful. End Summary. A Walk Through the Streets -------------- ¶2. (SBU) According to reports in the Western media and on the Internet, large-scale demonstrations took place on January 12 and 13 along one of Shanghai's busiest shopping streets over the local government's plans to extend the Magnetic Levitation (Maglev) train line to Hongqiao Airport. (See reftel for background on the Maglev project.) Estimates of the number of participants range from several hundred (Reuters) to 10,000 (Internet reports). The South China Morning Post (SCMP) estimates that 2,000 people participated in the demonstrations. Pictures and video of the demonstrations are posted on the Internet and can be seen on Youtube. The demonstrations have been largely peaceful, although there are reports that police detained anywhere from dozens to a few hundred of protesters. ¶3. (SBU) According to Internet and Western media reports, the demonstrations kicked off on the weekend of January 6. Unlike participants in other protests, the participants in these demonstrations appear to be from the urban middleclass. In addition, the demonstrations are being called "walks" or "strolls" because organizers knew that they would never get permission to stage a protest. Organizers used phone text messaging and put up signs in neighborhoods that would be affected by the Maglev extension to urge people to join the "walk." Health Concerns, Property Values, and Compensation -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶4. (SBU) The local government's spring 2007 proposal to extend the Maglev line had met strong opposition from local residents. Because of this pressure, the government reversed its decision in the summer. In December, the Shanghai government changed its mind again and is considering an extension of the Maglev line (reftel). Residents living in the area where the extension would take place oppose the government's plans because of concerns that radiation from the Maglev would affect their health and destroy the property value of their homes. Netizens in chatrooms and blogs emphasize that infrastructure and new technology should be used to benefit the population's overall quality of life, not harm it. Some observers believe that the demonstrators also staged the "walk" to put more pressure on the government to increase compensation to residents. During a July 3, 2007 Consulate reception, after the Shanghai Government had announced it would not extend the Maglev, one senior government official told the Consul General that opposition was mainly a means of squeezing more compensation from the local government. Shanghai Government: Legal and Rational Opinions Welcome -------------- -------------- -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The Shanghai Government has not overtly reacted to the protests but in a January 14 front-page article in Wen Hui Bao (a Chinese language newspaper published in Shanghai),a spokesman urged that residents respect "Shanghai's harmony and stable situation" and use legal means to make their opinions known. Plans for the extension and contact information, including a point of contact, email, phone number and fax number, are posted on the Municipal Urban Planning and Environmental Protection Bureau's website (www.shghj.gov.cn/News Show.aspx?id=9725). The plans will be kept on the website until January 18. The government spokesman said that the Shanghai SHANGHAI 00000019 002 OF 002 government takes this task very seriously and has set up several opinion collecting centers in relevant areas and neighborhoods. The spokesman hoped that residents living near the maglev would use these channels to express their opinions and suggestions "legally and rationally." Congen contacted Maglev authorities, but they refused to discuss the issue and referred all inquiries to the municipal government. Will the Shanghai Government Listen? -------------- -------------- ¶6. (C) Poloff spoke separately to two contacts about the protests. Both doubted that the government would change its mind on extending the Maglev and discounted the government's promises to carefully consider resident's opinions. Long-time petitioner and frequent protester, Zhang Enquan told Poloff on January 15 that residents are frustrated with the government. She is not in contact with the demonstrators but opined that many participated in the "walk" because they did not trust the Shanghai government. These are the same people who protested the government's original plans. During that time, residents tried to use legal means. Despite their best efforts, the government is still considering the extension. Therefore, residents have no other option but to stage a public protest. She said the email address and phone number provided by the government for those who want to submit opinions on the extension are nothing more then garbage cans. The government will just throw away any opinions it gets. She believes it is very unlikely that the government will listen to residents and not extend the Maglev. The government perceives a need to extend the Maglev to support the 2010 World Expo. The government has already invested much money into the Expo and will lose face if the Expo is not a success. ¶7. (C) During a CG-hosted lunch on January 15, Shanghai Municipal People's Congress Researcher Zhou Meiyan also downplayed the government's efforts to solicit opinions on the project. She said that if the government was more open about its plans on the Maglev then there would not have been such a strong reaction by the public. The government should pay attention to the public on this issue and publish all its information relating to the extension project. Jiaotong University School of International and Public Affairs Dean Hu Wei, who was also at the lunch, noted that the government rarely holds hearings on important infrastructure projects. They both downplayed government organized public hearings, saying the results are usually pre-cooked. (The lunch and further comments on the government's public hearing efforts will be reported septel.) Comment -------------- ¶8. (C) Many commentators in the media and on the Internet are comparing the demonstrations to the PX incident in Xiamen in June, in which middleclass protesters were reportedly successful in forcing the local government to cancel a company's permission to build a chemical factory. The Shanghai government, however, is politically more conservative than other local governments and often shies away from being too far ahead of the Central Government, making it less likely that Shanghai will reverse its decision. JARRETT