【新唐人2012年11月2日訊】寧波市群眾抗議化工廠擴建項目取得初步勝利。這已經不是中共當局第一次向示威民眾讓步。過去幾年間，北方的大連和南方的廈門都曾因為抗議示威，而停建了原來所計劃的化工廠項目。寧波、大連和廈門都是中國經濟發展比較迅速的城市。外媒評論說，中產階級造反讓中共懼怕。國內學者指出，一個社會的文明進步，中產階級是一個中堅力量。
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《美聯社》評論說，當局對待沿海城市的抗議民眾的手法似乎更為理性與溫和。但在對待幫助中共起家的鄉村底層民眾和工人階級的抗議示威，卻通常採用嚴厲的鎮壓手段。中共當局更懼怕中產階級造反。廣州畫家何國泉認為，一個社會的文明進步，中產階級是一個中堅力量。發達地區民眾的抗議藉助現代化通訊工具，把消息很快傳給外界，給當局施加壓力。
廣州畫家 何國泉：「因為他們現在也有多媒體。有照相機，攝像機，還有手機，還有推特，互聯網，這對政府來講，他也不能搞的太過份。他有資料，到時可以用圖像來說明問題。那麼作為地方政府，他也要考慮他的影響。」
《美聯社》評論說，只要由中產階級為主的抗議示威所提的要求有限，並且沒有提出具體的政治口號，當局通常會做出讓步。由過去10年經濟騰飛所形成的中國中產階層，只是希望能有一個更好的政府，並不期望改朝換代。他們通常最為關心的問題是健康、教育和房價，並且經常反感北京所推行的一切為經濟增長讓路的政策。
何國泉表示，目前來講，民眾維權聲勢比較大的，爆發力比較強的，基本上都是因為和自己切身的生存利益發生矛盾。
何國泉：「老百姓現在對政府也不是很信任。加上他們搞的開發污染，老百姓也知道這是關係到他們生命，子孫萬代生態的大事。所以現在人肯定要出來抗爭。而且這種東西也有悲情色彩，也容易讓很多人，哪怕不是寧波的人也同情他們，支持他們。所以政府他也要考慮。」
中共政府對沿海發達城市群眾抗議的部分退讓，並不意味著共產黨變得更加溫情，軟硬兼施，一切都是出於維穩的考慮。
何國泉：「他們現在做這些事情，有時候他會採取很多種。有一種我們能看到的。還有一種是一般人看不到的。只不過現在這種局面，維穩嘛，一旦到了一定氣勢的時候，他們就馬上會妥協。如果你沒有到那種氣勢的時候，他會很嚴厲的把你壓下去。這種事情實際上在中國非常多。污染是一方面，還有樓盤啊，侵佔別人用地的，壓得多了。很多都沒有（報導）出來。」
與寧波群眾抗爭事件相同的，中國已有多個沿海城市發生類似事件，包括福建廈門、山東的青島、遼寧的大連等等。中國有14個沿海開放城市，這些城市都在發展重化工業。
美國媒體《每日野獸》報導說，環境擔憂讓普通中國人克服了對抗議懼怕的心理。在一個人們無法獲知工業項目有關信息，和對影響他們生活的決定沒有發言權的社會，群體抗議是唯一的選擇。
採訪編輯/秦雪 後製/肖顏
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Regime Fears “Middle-Class Rebellion” in China?
The mass protest against the expansion of a chemical plant
has achieved initial victory in Ningbo, Zhejiang Province.
This was not the first time for the Chinese Communist Party
(CCP) to yield to Chinese protesters.
In the last few years in Dalian and Xiamen, citizen protests
forced authorities to halt planned chemical plant projects.
Cities of Ningbo, Dalian and Xiamen
are “better-off” cities in China.
Foreign media reviewed that “the authoritarian government
is scared of middle-class rebellion.”
Scholars believe that the middle class becoming
a powerful force indicates that society is making a progress.
The Associated Press said, “The treatment protesters there
received has been gentler than the beatings and large-scale arrests often given to rowdy rural and working-class.”
“The authoritarian government
is scared of middle-class rebellion.”
Guangzhou』 painter He Guoquan claims, society progresses
when the middle class evolves into a powerful force.
In the developed regions, modern communication facilities
can help spread the protests』 news to the public.
This will naturally put the authorities under pressure,
says He Guoquan.
He Guoquan: “Multimedia is available now, like cameras,
video cameras, mobile phones, Twitter and internet.
This makes the authorities dare not go too far.
All on-site pictures can bear witness to authorities』 actions.
The local authorities do have to consider the aftermath."
The AP stated, “The authoritarian government will give in if
the demonstrators’ aims are limited and not openly political.”
“China’s nascent middle class, the product of the past
decade’s economic boom, is looking for better government, not a different one.”
“They’re especially concerned about issues like health,
education and property values and often resist the growth-at-all-costs model Beijing has pushed.”
He Guoquan remarks that currently, those large and strong
mass protests are usually ones threatening people』s survival.
He Guoquan: “Now regular people have little confidence
in this government.
People know that pollution caused by economic growth
directly threatens their lives and those of future generations.
So they stood up to resist it.
The issue has gained support from citizens in other regions.
I think the government has to weigh up the issue.”
The CCP』s partial concession was not made
for adopting the carrot and stick policy.
It actually met the needs
of its stability preservation.
He Guoquan: “They have various tactics
to deal with a situation.
If the mass protests prove to be overwhelming,
the authorities will quickly yield.
If not, the authorities will enforce
a very harsh crackdown.
Protests against pollution, the real estate developers,
and land grabbing by officials is common in China.
Numerous resistances have been
repressed and muzzled."
Similar mass protests to Ningbo』s have been staged
in other coastal cities including Xiamen, Qingdao, Dalian.
Fourteen coastal cities in China are all economically driven
by heavy-chemical industries.
US-based online media the Daily Beast wrote:
“Environmental concerns have a way of overcoming
the skittishness that ordinary Chinese generally feels about protesting.”
“People have little access to information about industrial
projects and are completely excluded from the decisions that affect their lives, mass protests are the only option.”