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In Shenyang, Business Strike Against Suspected Government Shakedown
Shenyang's Business District Has Been a Ghost Town (Liu Siyu/Weibo.com)
Businesses in Shenyang have closed themselves down for over two weeks in an effort to evade intrusive inspections and possible heavy fines.
Large sums of money are needed for engineering projects in Shenyang to prepare for the National Games, which are scheduled there for next year. There is a rampant rumor that local authorities are raising these funds from local businesses by trumping up charges for illegal licensing, counterfeit goods, and phantom employees, without considering whether local businesses can shoulder the fines.
Having opted to resist passively, Shenyang’s business community began a silent strike.
The act of defiance sparked debate online.
A netizen going by “Wave after wave” wrote on Aug. 6 that many shops in Shenyang city are allegedly closed to avoid the public security’s counterfeiting check. Another local citizen posted that Shenyang city has become nearly a “ghost town.”
One netizen going by “HaoZhen Liuzhen” wrote, “I am extremely upset about this news. It indeed reflects the tear and blood-stained reality. It’s not that the owners do not want the business, but that trumped-up charges could be imposed at will. The best way to circumvent it is to close up shop. Please spread this news and come to watch Shenyang’s ‘counterfeiting’ campaign.”
These anonymous posts were confirmed by Liu Siyu, affiliated with The United Nations Children’s Fund, who blogged on Aug. 6 that a quota of fines had been issued by the local business agency because of a lack of funds for the games. Many businesses, fearing excessive and unjust fines, had closed their doors.
Shenyang's Business District Has Been a Ghost Town (Resident's post to QQ.com)
Another netizen, “Mgphoto,” wrote: “All this commotion is just because of the reported huge shortfall in the needed engineering funds for the National Games. Local authorities have used the so-called counterfeiting and licensing excuse to rob businessmen by levying heavy fines, reportedly with a minimum of $3,000.
Professor Xie Zuoshi of the Zhejiang University of Finance and Economics had previously posted a blog entry on Tencent stating, “I don’t believe it’s true, I hope people on the scene can verify it.” Meanwhile, he says a Shenyang merchant has sent him a letter asking him to publicly expose the Shenyang “counterfeiting” scandal.
According to a report by financial website Caijing China, many money-making schemes have occurred in China this year. For example, many businessmen in Jiangsu and Zhejiang Provinces absconded from their businesses because news investigations discovered that they had embezzled funds by adding “phantom” employees to the payroll.
Recently, many companies have been levied similar fines, in cities Chaozhou, Shantou, Shenyang, and Dalian. Residents expect more money-making schemes by authorities before the end of the year.
The Hong Kong-based Phoenix TV reported that Shenyang City authorities issued a notice on Aug. 7 that the hunt for possible counterfeits has ended and all businesses should resume their activities. The Chinese regime’s state-run media published a report titled “Do not believe the rumors, and resume business” to urge normal business activities.
But BBC’s Chinese network confirmed through local residents that 90 percent of shops are still closed in protest. Local residents are inconvenienced because they are unable to receive basic services, such as getting a get a hair cut, going grocery shopping, or going out for lunch.
Original Chinese stories.
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2012-08-07 17:07:38
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