“Jianmei Aluminum in Foshan Uses Forced Military Training as Disguised Layoffs (March 11–17, 2026)” From March 11 to 17, Jianmei Aluminum Co., Ltd., located in Nanhai District, Foshan City, Guangdong Province, compelled employees to participate in military training outside of normal working hours, stipulating that anyone who refused would have their performance bonuses docked. According to workers, this move is widely seen as the company’s attempt — amid declining business performance — to pressure employees into resigning voluntarily through indirect means, thereby evading its legal obligation to pay severance compensation. Workers reported that after already enduring 12-hour workdays, being required to attend an additional 2 hours of military training left them physically and mentally exhausted, and the situation has been extremely difficult to bear.
Hundreds of ride-hailing drivers in Baoding, Hebei go on collective strike to protest arbitrary fees (2026.03.17) On March 17, hundreds of ride-hailing drivers in Baoding, Hebei Province staged a collective strike to protest arbitrary fees imposed by their platform companies. According to drivers, a “license transfer fee” that normally costs only 20 yuan through the local transportation authority is being charged at 30,000 yuan by the ride-hailing companies. (Note: The “license transfer fee” refers to the cost of transferring operating credentials from an expired vehicle to a new one.)
On March 16, workers from the Tongxin Chemical Plant demanding unpaid wages were blocked by police and security guards outside the Ma’anshan Municipal Government building in Anhui.
The Country Garden Phoenix Bay project in Langfang, Hebei province, has been stalled for two years. When homeowners went to the Langfang municipal government on Monday (March 16) to demand their homes, they were suppressed by Chinese Communist Party plainclothes police, and multiple people were taken away. (Note: In China, the CCP takes 70% of real estate profits.)
Wuhan Citizens’ “Anti-Pollution Factory Action” Ends in Victory After Protesters Block Mayor (March 08-15, 2026)
In March 2026, the Jiangxia District of Wuhan, Hubei, became the site of a multi-day civilian protest. Faced with plans for a battery plant located just dozens of meters from residential areas, hundreds of citizens staged continuous protests and even blocked local officials’ vehicles. Under sustained pressure, authorities finally announced that the previous planning public notice was void. This rights-protection movement, initiated by ordinary residents, concluded with a milestone victory.
The Disputed Project: Large Battery Plant Near Residential Areas
The core of the conflict was the Chuneng New Energy battery project slated for Jiangxia District. In February 2026, the project was officially signed with the Wuhan Municipal Government with a total investment of 22 billion yuan and a planned annual capacity of 80 GWh. Expected to become a pillar of Wuhan’s new energy industry, it was originally scheduled to begin production in 2027.
However, the site selection sparked immediate and fierce opposition from nearby residents. According to a planning modification notice released on February 13, the Jiangxia District proposed a “bait-and-switch” adjustment to units F0106 and F0108: land that had been designated for education, healthcare, and ecological residential use for nearly a decade was to be rezoned as Category II Industrial Land.
The most affected residents were thousands of homeowners from three major complexes: Poly Time Impression, Vanke Liantou Ideal Starlight, and Minmetals Wanjing Shuian. These communities consist largely of young families, many of whom work in the internet or tech sectors and are well-informed about the new energy industry. They argued that converting an ecologically sensitive area into a potential pollution zone—without public hearings or community participation—was both a reckless tampering with urban planning and a flagrant disregard for legal procedures.
The first major action took place on March 8, 2026. Over a hundred homeowners gathered near the proposed site to demand a halt to construction. A large police presence arrived to “maintain stability,” leading to a standoff that lasted several hours.
Three days later, on March 11, the scale of the protest expanded. Hundreds of residents gathered again to demand a government response. Authorities deployed more police and SWAT teams to clear the area, detaining several protesters. In response, angry citizens surrounded the vehicle of a Vice Mayor on-site, chanting slogans demanding the release of those detained and calling for the government to “serve the people.” Some demanded the official step out to explain, while others shouted, “If you can’t do the job, step down.”
Under immense public pressure, the Vice Mayor eventually exited the vehicle to face the crowd but did not release the detainees or cancel the project at that time. The crowd eventually dispersed under police pressure, but the conflict did not end there.
A Multi-Day Standoff
Over the following days, authorities continued to deploy heavy police forces near the site to prevent further assemblies. Simultaneously, homeowners continued to organize via chat groups and social media, preparing for further action. For many, this struggle was about their long-term living environment and personal safety.
The Outcome: Planning Notice Declared Void
On March 15, 2026, as citizens gathered at the site once more, their persistence paid off. That evening, the Director of the Jiangxia District Letters and Calls Bureau publicly announced on-site that the previous public notice regarding the planning adjustment was voided.
While officials did not explicitly state whether the project would be permanently canceled, the withdrawal of the planning notice means that the project’s progress has been forced to a halt.
Analysis: Urban Development vs. Residents’ Rights
In recent years, many Chinese cities have aggressively pursued the new energy industry. Power battery projects, often involving investments of tens of billions of yuan, have become top targets for local government investment attraction. Companies like Chuneng New Energy have expanded rapidly, establishing multiple production bases across Hubei in Wuhan, Yichang, and Xiaogan, with a total planned capacity exceeding 500 GWh.
However, the introduction of large-scale industrial projects into new urban districts continues to trigger concerns over safety and environmental risks. The protests in Jiangxia, Wuhan, serve as a microcosm of the friction inherent in this high-speed development model.
On March 13, in Honghua Village, Hengshan Town, Anju District, Suining City, Sichuan Province, villagers who were blocking an under-construction highway tunnel for the second consecutive day to demand unpaid land compensation started playing mahjong.
On March 13, near the Baihe Xiangzhou residential community in Nanbu County, Nanchong City, Sichuan Province, a conflict broke out as urban management officers (Chengguan) attempted to drive away street vendors
On the evening of March 14, in Wahutong Village, Changyanbao Subdistrict, Yanta District, Xi’an, Shaanxi, the subdistrict office hired individuals to enter the village and sabotage the election. Carrying ballot boxes door-to-door, they forced villagers to vote according to the subdistrict office’s wishes. This ultimately sparked public outrage, and after being surrounded, they fled in panic.
On the evening of March 13, along Jihua Road in the Bantian Subdistrict of Longgang District, Shenzhen, Guangdong province, a street vendor climbed onto the roof of their snack cart to prevent it from being towed away by urban management officers (Chengguan).
On March 14, hundreds of homeowners in the Jinlongwan Town residential community in Xinjian District, Nanchang, Jiangxi Province, gathered to defend their rights and evict the property management company, which they accused of charging high fees while failing to fulfill its duties. During the incident, the homeowners tore down the property management’s signboard and cleared out all the chairs and office supplies from the management office.
