China Launches (Another) Major Crackdown on Dissidents
Pro-democracy activists in Shanghai said that the police have assaulted residents who have tried to lodge complaints at official agencies. The restrictions coincide with Thursday's 30th anniversary of Gaige Kaifang, the moment when China opened up to the world under the leadership of Deng Xiaoping. An increasing number of critics are pointing out, however, that China's economic success is a hollow victory without political change. The purge was launched at the end of November, after the execution of Yang Jia, a 28-year-old man convicted of killing six policemen.