China’s uneven coronavirus economic recovery stirs protest in Beijing

Some 200 people protested outside the office of a private tutoring company in Beijing on Monday, demanding refunds after the company folded

The rare protest is a sign of lingering stress in the Chinese economy, despite a broad acceleration in growth over the third quarter

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Some 200 people gathered outside the office of Youwin Education in Beijing demanding refunds after the company collapsed. Photo: Frank Tang

Published: 6:31pm, 19 Oct 2020Updated: 9:26pm, 19 Oct 2020

A rare protest erupted in Beijing on Monday, with hundreds of parents taking to the streets of the capital to demand their money be returned after a private tutoring company collapsed in a sign of ongoing economic stress caused by the coronavirus pandemic.

Some 200 people gathered outside the office of Youwin Education, where they briefly blocked a road in Beijing’s busy central business district and chanted “Return our money!”

“All our money is earned by hard toil. How can we accept such frauds?” said one angry mother, who spent more than 100,000 yuan (US$14,908) on prepaid courses for her middle schoolchild. “So many families have been fooled and entrapped! They must be punished,” she added.

Protests are uncommon in security-heavy Beijing, with unauthorised gatherings likely to lead to questioning by police and even arrest.

The protest took place about the same time as the National Bureau of Statistics released data showing economic growth accelerated in the third quarter, with the near simultaneous events displaying the uneven rebound of China’s economy from crippling lockdowns early in the year.