“For years, the Chinese Communist Party has spent enormous sums on ‘stability maintenance’ in an effort to achieve comprehensive control over society. Yet from the large numbers of self-organized ‘e-parents’ who emerged during the ‘Xiao Luoxi Incident’ late last year, to the recent ‘Avoid the Plague God’ movement involving more than one million merchants in Heilongjiang, Zhejiang, Jiangsu, and elsewhere, and now the ‘Wangwang Storm’ and the ‘Zhuzhiliao Incident,’ these developments all point to the same trend: as traditional spaces for organization have been severely compressed, Chinese society is continually generating new forms of spontaneous, collaborative protest that are more decentralized and harder to detect and suppress in advance.
The contest between a regime seeking to ‘control everything’ and a society continually finding new ways to reconnect and re-engage in public affairs is far from over.”
“Suzhou Authorities Deploy Police to Evict Street Vendors in Kunshan, Sparking Clashes” (August 14, 2026)
On the evening of August 14, authorities in Bacheng, Kunshan, Suzhou, Jiangsu Province, deployed large numbers of police, riot police and urban management officers to evict vendors operating near Lixun Precision Industry (Kunshan) Co., Ltd. Clashes broke out between the two sides. The “Ecological Environment Code of the People’s Republic of China” is set to take effect on August 15. In recent days, local governments in multiple cities have cited the new code to revoke street vendors’ operating licenses, deploying police and urban management officers to drive them out en masse. Amid prolonged economic slowdown and a shrinking job market this year, growing numbers of unemployed people have turned to street vending, a low-barrier means of survival. With the new regulation now taking effect, these vendors, many of whom took up street selling only after losing their jobs, face losing their livelihoods once again.
“Forced Demolition of Greenhouses in Xianghe, Hebei Ends in Tragedy; Villager Hospitalized With Extensive Burns (2026.08.13)”
On August 12, in Houtumenlou Village, Wubaihu Town, Xianghe County, Langfang, Hebei Province, the local government dispatched a large number of police officers, government personnel, and security guards into the village to forcibly demolish greenhouses on villagers’ subsistence farmland. According to villagers, no compensation was provided for the demolitions.
During the forced demolition, a tragic incident occurred in which one villager suffered extensive burns over much of his body and was subsequently rushed to hospital for emergency treatment. As the authorities have blocked information about what happened afterward, it remains unclear exactly how the villager was burned. His current condition and subsequent developments also remain to be confirmed.
“Weifang Man Says RMB 180,000 ‘Wealth Management Insurance’ Turned Into Whole Life Insurance, Can Only Get RMB 25,000 Back (2026.08.11)”
On August 11, a man in Hanting District, Weifang, Shandong Province, said that he had previously purchased a “wealth management insurance” product worth RMB 180,000 from Ping An Insurance, only to later discover that the product had somehow become a whole life insurance policy.
That day, he went to Ping An Insurance to request a refund, but was told that if he surrendered the policy now, he could only receive about RMB 25,000. In the end, he failed to get his money back and was instead driven out by staff.
“Chengdu Chengshi Group Workers Suppressed by Police During Wage Protest, Several Detained (2026.08.12)”
On August 12, dozens of workers from Chengshi Group in Sanhe Subdistrict, Xindu District, Chengdu, Sichuan Province, were suppressed by police while blocking the factory entrance to demand unpaid wages. Several workers were detained.
According to the workers, in an effort to evade responsibility for paying wage arrears and other obligations, Chengshi Group even changed the company’s legal representative to an ordinary worker.
Earlier, on July 7, workers had used the same tactic of blocking the factory entrance to demand their wages, but that protest was likewise suppressed by police.
“Little Luoxi’s” Mother Vows to “Fight to the End,” Even If It Means Selling Her Home, and Refuses Donations (2026.08.12)
On August 12, after spending a prolonged period traveling and pursuing justice without any income, Little Luoxi’s mother decided to sell her “marital home” in preparation for a long-term struggle to uncover the truth and seek justice for Little Luoxi. Deng Rongrong expressed gratitude to some of the “online parents” who offered donations, but made clear that she would not accept any financial contributions. She also said that she would “fight to the end.”
Meanwhile, although nearly nine months have passed since the Little Luoxi incident, “online parents” across China have not stopped speaking out. They continue to find various ways to circumvent censorship and speak out for Little Luoxi, demanding that the truth be uncovered and those responsible be held accountable.
Summary of Offline Solidarity Activities for the “Wangwang Storm”(August 5–11, 2026)
From August 5 to 11, despite continued repression by the Chinese Communist Party, “Wangwang Electronics Employees” continued to make their voices heard. Offline, employees took risks to carry their flags to Mount Tai, Changbai Mountain, and the Hulunbuir Grasslands, and posted solidarity slogans in Shanxi and Shenzhen.
Hundreds of State-Owned Coal Mine Workers in Jilin Stage Multi-Day Sit-In Over Unpaid Wages and Social Insurance (Aug. 10–11, 2026)
On August 10, hundreds of current and retired workers from the Jinbaotun and Longjiabao coal mines and other mines operated by Liaoyuan Mining, a subsidiary of Jilin Energy Investment Group, staged a collective protest. They gathered outside the headquarters of Jilin Energy Investment Group for a sit-in, demanding payment of overdue wages, social insurance contributions, and other benefits.
According to workers, Liaoyuan Mining has withheld wages from some current employees for as long as 30 months and failed to make required social insurance contributions for as long as 13 years. Housing provident fund contributions have also gone unpaid for an extended period, leaving some retired workers unable to receive their pensions normally.
Workers said they had repeatedly protested over these issues in the past, but the company and local authorities had continued to delay and deflect responsibility on various grounds, leaving the problems unresolved.
As of the morning of August 11, the workers’ protest was still ongoing.
