Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08SHANGHAI19
2008-01-16 08:57:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Consulate Shanghai
Cable title:  

SHANGHAI RESIDENTS PROTEST MAGLEV EXTENSION

Tags:  PHUM PGOV ELTN CH 
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RR RUEHCN RUEHGH
DE RUEHGH #0019/01 0160857
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 160857Z JAN 08
FM AMCONSUL SHANGHAI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 6606
INFO RUEHBJ/AMEMBASSY BEIJING 1645
RUEHCN/AMCONSUL CHENGDU 1059
RUEHSH/AMCONSUL SHENYANG 1060
RUEHGZ/AMCONSUL GUANGZHOU 1030
RUEHIN/AIT TAIPEI 0870
RUEHHK/AMCONSUL HONG KONG 1187
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHINGTON DC
RUEHGH/AMCONSUL SHANGHAI 7137
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)
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