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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 GUANGZHOU 000742 
 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR EAP/CM AND DRL 
USDA FOR FAS/ITP AND FAS/FAA 
USDOC FOR 4420/ITA/MAC/MCQUEEN 
USPACOM FOR FPA 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PGOV SOCI ECON EINV CH
SUBJECT: Anatomy of a Demonstration: Xiamen Middle Class Organizes 
Against Planned Chemical Factory 
 
REF: Guangzhou 620 
 
(U) This document is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Among the thousands of people who demonstrated 
against a planned petrochemical project in Xiamen on June 1-2, most 
were young and middle-class and organized themselves through cell 
phone text messages, according to Xiamen residents.  A disgruntled 
anti-corruption official reportedly helped plan the demonstrations 
and a real-estate developer reportedly paid people to participate. 
Participants condemned the Xiamen Party Secretary by name for 
ignoring public concerns.  At least one person told us that the 
project investor is trying to get out of the contract and is 
negotiating for compensation for any potential losses he might 
encounter.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶2. (SBU) During a June 20 visit to Xiamen, Congenoff spoke with a 
lawyer, a journalist, and cab drivers, all of whom witnessed the 
demonstrations opposing a large paraxylene (PX) factory planned for 
a location near Xiamen's city center.  The Xiamen government, in an 
apparent effort to stem the protests, announced the suspension (but 
not cancellation) of the project on May 30; however, the 
demonstrations went forward on Friday, June 1 and Saturday, June 2. 
(Another Congenoff who happened to be in Xiamen on July 2 witnessed 
a demonstration on a pedestrian shopping street.)  According to the 
mainland media, police detained 12 people during a confrontation 
outside the city government compound.  On June 3, Xiamen police 
announced they would take action against the instigators of the 
"illegal" demonstration, accusing them of having motives other than 
environmental protection. 
 
Young, Middle-Class, and Enjoying Themselves 
-------------------------------------------- 
 
¶3. (SBU) The lawyer and the journalist said most of the protestors 
were in their 20s and 30s and middle-class.  They estimated that 
approximately 20,000 people participated in the June 1 demonstration 
(an online source put the number at several thousand).  Both of them 
were surprised at the size of the turnout, since it was a weekday 
and also International Children's Day, when many people bring their 
children to the office or are on leave.  Some of the demonstrators 
did not live in Xiamen, but owned property there.  The contacts said 
the demonstrators marched peacefully to the municipal government 
compound.  The Congenoff who was in Xiamen on June 2 said the 
protestors were holding signs, calling out to onlookers, and 
generally having fun - in contrast to several nervous police 
officers who stood nearby.  Many of the protestors were filming the 
event on their cameras and cell phones. 
 
Organized by Text Message, with Help from a Disgruntled Official and 
a Property Developer 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) The lawyer said no one requested approval from the city 
government for the demonstrations - and police would not have not 
have given it if they had.  After the police had blocked e-mail 
messages promoting the demonstration, people used cell phone text 
messages to communicate.  The lawyer said the author of the first 
text message was a deputy director in Siming District's 
anti-corruption office.  The official, a woman in her 50s, 
supposedly held a grudge against her superiors for being passed over 
for promotion.  The lawyer said the deputy director was detained 
before the demonstrations occurred. 
 
¶5. (SBU) A cab driver told Congenoff that some demonstrators were 
paid by a real estate developer who has a high-end residential 
project called "The Coast of the Future" located near the planned 
site of the PX factory.  The price of the developer's property had 
reportedly fallen RMB 1,000 (USD 140) per square meter because of 
the negative publicity about the PX project.  Our other contacts 
thought it was likely the developer was involved but said any money 
he distributed was probably a minor impetus for the demonstration. 
 
Demonstrators Criticize Party Secretary 
--------------------------------------- 
 
¶6. (SBU) The contacts said demonstrators began the day chanting 
slogans against the PX project.  During the afternoon, however, they 
began chanting "Down with He Lifeng" (Xiamen Party Secretary since 
 
GUANGZHOU 00000742  002 OF 002 
 
 
2006) and criticized him for ignoring public concerns.  The 
journalist agreed with the criticisms, saying that Mr. He has been 
unwilling to share details of the project with the public.  All of 
the contacts accused Mr. He of being motivated more by the 
significant economic growth promised by the project - it would 
reportedly almost double Xiamen's annual GDP - than people's health 
and safety. 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) Xiamen officials seemed to have mistakenly assumed that by 
announcing that the project was postponed they could avert the 
demonstrations.  Though they effectively blocked email exchanges, 
the protestors communicated freely by text message.  The lawyer said 
he believed the investor of the PX plant is considering scrapping 
the project and is negotiating with the Xiamen Government for 
compensation.  Our contacts all believe that, had the public 
demonstrations not been organized, the chemical project would have 
gone forward as planned. 
 
GOLDBERG