Civil society thrives on the mainland, so long as it leaves politics well alone

Each year on the mainland, there are hundreds of thousands of "mass incidents", that is, protests involving more than 50 people. Indeed, demonstrations involving thousands of people are a frequent phenomenon. Chinese leaders are concerned about serious domestic as well as international challenges, and there is less talk of a "glorious era" in the mainstream mainland media.

The Communist Party refuses to abandon its monopoly of political power; the Hu Jintao administration has followed the formula of promoting growth, with a basic social security net covering the entire population, plus good governance without democracy to maintain social stability.

But this formula is proving increasingly inadequate because of rampant corruption and the vested interests' resistance to the necessary reforms to improve China's development model.

The widening gap between rich and poor and the ruthlessness of local officials in pursuing growth and private gains naturally generate dissatisfaction and widespread grievances. The appropriation of land for development without adequate compensation has been the principal cause of protests and riots. But this is an important source of local government revenue.

Under such circumstances, the enlightened segment of the population struggles for more freedoms while the majority of underprivileged groups demand economic and social justice, as well as the basic rights they deserve but have been denied.

The aggrieved grass-roots that includes peasants, migrant workers, urban labourers and the elderly therefore get involved in petitions, protests, judicial processes and the like, to fight for their rights. When these measures fail to have an impact, violence sometimes ensues.