The National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) began its meeting today (March 4th) at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. The capital city implemented traffic controls on the main roads, requiring the public to yield to the vehicles of the CPPCC members, leading to heavy congestion on Chang’an Street. In addition, travelers entering Beijing were subject to strict security checks, sparking public dissatisfaction. Dissidents were closely monitored, with many individuals being arrested, detained, or deported.
Every year during the CPPCC and NPC sessions, Beijing deploys hundreds of thousands of security personnel, heightening vigilance and tension throughout the city. The entire city shifts into a stability maintenance mode, with armed police patrol vehicles enforcing dynamic control 24 hours a day. This year’s CPPCC meeting is held against the backdrop of internal and external challenges, amplifying the already tense atmosphere.
According to a report by Radio Free Asia, strict traffic controls were implemented in Beijing starting on the morning of March 4th. The Beijing Municipal Public Security Traffic Management Bureau issued travel alerts stating that certain roads may temporarily adopt traffic management measures.
Beijing resident Ye Jing was on her way out at 10:00 am when she encountered the CPPCC member convoy on Chang’an Street and other major roads, where ordinary vehicles were instructed to yield to the government vehicles. Ye Jing remarked, “Today, while driving on the Second Ring Road, I coincidentally ran into the convoy. Although the road wasn’t closed, only one lane was left for regular vehicles (out of three). Three batches of buses have passed by, and now I’m stuck on the overpass, not moving at all, uncertain how long this traffic jam will last. What used to be a half-hour journey on this stretch of road now is anyone’s guess.”
The press center for this year’s CPPCC is still located at the Mei Di Ya Center, situated on the northern side of the West Chang’an Street, a major traffic artery in Beijing. Hong Kong’s Ming Pao reported that on the morning of March 3rd, their journalist in Beijing attempted to travel from Wangfujing to Mei Di Ya Center. Upon hailing a taxi, the driver immediately mentioned road closures upon hearing the destination, citing strict security measures around Tiananmen Square.
The journalist tried another taxi, and this time, the driver commented on the severe traffic congestion, suggesting taking the subway for a quicker route and pointing towards the nearby subway entrance before departing.
Not only is traffic within Beijing affected, but travelers entering the city from outside also face rigorous security checks. Shandong resident Zhou Gang stated that not only were train passengers bound for Beijing subjected to stringent inspections, but strict controls were also in place at entrances to the highways leading to Beijing: “At every highway entrance now, there are police officers checking the vehicles heading to Beijing.”
Videos circulating on social media show a heavy presence of police and security personnel inspecting passengers’ luggage inside the waiting area of a high-speed train from Shenyang bound for Beijing. Some netizens sarcastically remarked, “This is the embodiment of cultural and institutional confidence.”
Ming Pao reported that its journalist rode a shared bicycle along Chang’an Street westward. Shortly after departure, two checkpoints were encountered near Tiananmen Square, where besides presenting identification, cyclists were also required to have their backpacks inspected.
With a nearly 10-kilometer journey from Wangfujing to Yuyuantan, the raised alert lines on the overpasses, and the widespread presence of personnel in uniform, all indicate that the CPPCC has commenced.
Beijing resident Li, from Fangshan, disclosed to Radio Free Asia that police cars filled the villages where dissidents gathered, with multiple individuals taken away: “They are arresting people every day. Police cars and SWAT vehicles are parked inside and outside the villages. The situation is especially severe. Dissidents from Liaoning are even worse off, as they were detained after being deported from Beijing. Lin Mingjie, a dissident, went missing after being abducted on the street on February 28th. Now, once dissidents are sent back to their hometowns, they are mostly detained, and the situation is very dire.”
Qingdao human rights activist Zhu Le stated that he himself was under stringent police surveillance: “I can’t go anywhere. They started following me several days ago. The police explicitly told me that the security measures for the two sessions will continue until the 20th. I can’t leave my residence until then. Even after the sessions end, they will continue monitoring for several more days.”
Mr. Lu, a resident of Jiangsu, believes that as the Chinese economy deteriorates, the authorities’ social control measures will only become more stringent: “They escalate their measures every year because they have more and more problems. Therefore, it’s only natural that social control is becoming tighter.”