A Creeping Terror

In response to the article “Murder at the Drum Tower” from The November 24th Newsweek Magazine (P. 34 – World Affairs)

On Aug. 9, just 12 hours after the 2008 Olympics began, Tang, 47, attacked a visiting American couple and their guide inside Beijing’s 13th-century Drum Tower. He was brutal, knifing the man to death, the woman to life-threatening injuries and the guide too, though to a lesser degree of damage. Afterwards, he jumped to his own death. Murders happen in China, but Tang’s case is different. He murdered foreigners and he murdered them during the Olympics, which was a dream that many Chinese has dreamt for over a hundred years. The underlying force is destructive.

Tang was once considered the “lucky” ones in China. He lived well, with everything from medical care to pension provided by the government. He had a family, with a wife and a son. But as China’s communism fades, transforming the whole country’s fate, Tang began his downfall. He first lost his job. He could have found another job, but because of “face”, he refused to do menial work. So, he soon began poor. He then lost his wife. He divorced with her because she perhaps made him lose face, according to a neighbor of Tang. Lastly, his son was a troublemaker. In the last two years, his son was convicted of fraud and theft. Seeing that he had to work, Tang went to Sichuan. However, the devastating earthquake on May 12 ended Tang’s search. By then, he was so poor that he only had a single set of clothing. After sometime, he decided to go to Beijing, a point of no return.

Tang was an ordinary person. Not just “relatively” ordinary, he was just ordinary, according to Wang, a community worker who tried to help Tang with finding a job.

This is the stress level for an ordinary Chinese. If we shall look at some news, then we can see the grim side of China. China’s GDP has to grow 8 percent yearly just to satisfy the need for new jobs. Half of China’s toy makers have gone bankrupt this year, ending millions of factory workers’ employment. Cabbies rioted in Chongqing a few weeks ago because of the gas prices. Other than current news, there are also some noteworthy statistics. China’s suicide rate is at least 23 people per 100,000 people, doubling the U.S. figure. The incidence of depression in Shanghai has quadrupled in the past decade. All of this is saying China as a whole nation people is experiencing a sky-high stress level.

Less than a hundred years ago, China was in its Qing Dynasty. Then, it became Republic of China, which went through World War II. Then, it became nowadays People’s Republic of China, which is more of communism and not republic. During this time, it went through Cultural Revolution, a time that many of our generation’s grandparents still vividly remember. Now, China is on its road to a “special” socialism to suit its need. China has gone through many, many things. It is not easy to be a Mainland Chinese. Though I am born and have grown in Hong Kong all my life, China suddenly for the first time seem so real to me. China…it is already changing again. A creeping terror...