China Clamps Down: Student Protests, Passport Seizures Surge
As the Chinese Communist Party prepared for its pivotal Fourth Plenary Session in late October 2025, a series of developments across the country painted a picture of a government intensifying its grip on society amid growing unrest and economic uncertainty. From student-led demonstrations to covert detentions and economic stagnation, the weeks leading up to the meeting have been marked by a surge in state control and public discontent.
One of the most visible flashpoints emerged in Guangxi province, where thousands of students at Yulan No. 1 Vocational School staged a mass walkout on October 16. The protest was sparked by a sudden policy limiting mobile phone use to just three hours per day,a rule introduced two months after the academic year began. Students, many of whom rely on their phones for both academic and social purposes, flooded the school’s sports field in defiance. Videos circulating online showed teachers attempting to disperse the crowd using fire extinguishers, but the students remained resolute, chanting slogans and vowing to continue their protest until the policy is reversed.
This incident is part of a broader trend of youth unrest in China, where digital restrictions and surveillance have increasingly clashed with the expectations of a tech-savvy generation. While some countries have adopted softer approachessuch as the use of Yondr pouches in U.S. schools to manage phone use,China’s more forceful tactics reflect a deeper concern with maintaining ideological conformity and social order.
Simultaneously, a quiet but sweeping crackdown has targeted China’s state-employed professionals. Since early October, employees in sectors such as finance, energy, and technology have reportedly been ordered to surrender their passports, with overseas travel approvals frozen indefinitely. Though no official directive has been published, verbal instructions have sufficed in a system where bureaucratic compliance often precedes formal documentation. One Beijing-based employee noted that his entire department had complied without protest, citing fears of capital flight or unauthorized information leaks as likely motivations behind the move.
This pre-emptive tightening of mobility rights appears to be part of a broader strategy to ensure loyalty and prevent dissent ahead of the plenary session. Analysts suggest that the government is particularly wary of reputational risks and potential leaks during politically sensitive periods, prompting a clampdown on both physical and informational movement.
In Shanghai, the re-emergence of so-called “black jails”unofficial detention centers used to silence petitioners and activistshas reignited concerns about human rights violations. In one case, 70-year-old petitioner was reportedly confined to his home without access to food or medicine after security personnel attempted to detain him. His distress call prompted a group of 14 supporters to intervene, leading to a tense standoff with police. Another activist, was allegedly sent to a black jail on Chongming Island after visiting him, with authorities citing fears of foreign media exposure.
Such extrajudicial tactics, often employed during major political events, underscore the government’s determination to suppress dissent. Yet even these measures appear to be evolving under financial strain. In the past, dissidents were often sent on “forced vacations” to remote hotels during sensitive periods. Now, with budget constraints tightening, many are instead placed under house arrest, monitored by lone guards or required to submit daily location updates via smartphone. In both Shanghai and Beijing, police have reportedly raided petitioner villages, detaining residents without explanation,a shift from costly containment to more austere forms of control.
The economic backdrop to these developments is equally telling. Once a symbol of China’s consumer power, the annual Double 11 shopping festival has lost much of its luster. Despite aggressive promotions by e-commerce giants like Alibaba and JD.comincluding extended sales periods and over $7 billion in subsidies, consumer enthusiasm remains muted. Holiday spending has reportedly fallen to a three-year low, with many households prioritizing essentials over big-ticket items. Prominent live-streamers, have publicly expressed the toll of relentless sales pressure, while analysts predict a 20% decline in Q4 sales for appliances like washing machines.
This economic malaise reflects deeper anxieties among Chinese consumers, who are grappling with stagnant wages, youth unemployment, and a sluggish property market. The festive buzz that once defined China’s retail calendar has been replaced by cautious spending and subdued promotions.
As the Fourth Plenary Session convenes, the convergence of social unrest, administrative overreach, and economic stagnation suggests a nation at a crossroads. While the government’s efforts to consolidate control may offer short-term stability, the underlying cracksexacerbated by fiscal constraints and public frustrationare becoming increasingly difficult to ignore. Whether Beijing can maintain its grip without addressing these systemic pressures remains an open question.
Sources:
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-china-48790419
https://www.reuters.com/markets/asia/chinas-singles-day-loses-shine-amid-economic-gloom-2025-11-11/
