ABSTRACT
Over the past decade, China has apparently experienced a marked increase in unrest. According to official statistics, the number of"mass incidents" increased from 8, 700 in 1 993 to 40,000 in 2000, 58,000 in 2003 and 74,000 in 2004. 1 The number of protestors involved reportedly increased from 860,000 in 1 993, to 3 million in 2003 , and 3 .7 million in 2004.2 During the first ten months of 2004, protests were reported in 337 cities and 1 ,955 counties.3 Anecdotal evidence from press reports also suggests a rise in the number of violent clashes between police and demonstrators.4 The increasing mass unrest could undermine the regime stability, which is vital to China's "peaceful development," particularly when rapid industrialization and social changes have created many problems that the government cannot resolve effectively and quickly.
