China using social program to effectively suppress dissent, claims US researcher

Amid soaring US-China tensions, research from an American social scientist has claimed that China’s social safety net programme called ‘dibao’ is increasingly being used as a tool to suppress dissent in nation. Chinese programme reportedly assures minimum living standards and is targetted at reducing income inequality by providing unconditional transfers by cash to benefit people whose income is falling under threshold set by government. 

However, a study by Chinese Acemy of Social Sciences in 2012 h revealed that out of all households that were entitled to benefits, only 20-30 per cent of m actually received m. An assistant professor of communication at Stanford University Jennifer Pan reportedly said in an interview that Chinese programme is being “used very specifically to control individuals.” author of Welfare for Americans, Pan in those years h introduced idea of ‘repressive assistance’ in China.

"What's unique about dibao is that over time, especially following Falun Gong protests in 1999, you see a change in how Chinese government thinks about stability - how important it is, what its relationship to economic development means, as well as how to pursue it... So re's comprehensive management of public security. And because of those changes, dibao is n used very specifically to control individuals," said Jennifer Pan as quoted by ANI.

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Pan surveyed, interviewed govt officials

As per reports, Pan h surveyed nearly 100 neighbourhoods in China along with interviewing several governments officials in a bid to test if political order was tied into distribution under programme. In same interview with media outlet cited by ANI, she said that it became evident how Chinese authorities realised that security alone was not enough to guarantee political order in area. refore, ministration began a safety programme for Beijing’s ‘targeted populations’ including former prisoners who pose a threat to society, according to government. 

"You can make someone less likely to take action ... by giving m material benefits... It's not threats or violence, it's inste, giving m very minimal resources. That keeps m in a particular socio-economic state," she said.

(with inputs from ANI)

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