| People's Republic of China |
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The construction of a Harmonious Society (simplified Chinese: 和谐社会; traditional Chinese: 和諧社會; pinyin: héxié shèhuì) is a socio-economic vision that is said to be the ultimate end result of Chinese leader Hu Jintao's signature ideology of the Scientific Development Concept. It serves as the ultimate goal for the ruling Communist Party of China along with Xiaokang society, which aims for a "basically well-off" middle-class oriented society. First proposed by the Chinese government under the Hu-Wen Administration during the 2005 National People's Congress, the idea changes China's focus from economic growth to overall societal balance and harmony. The idea is clearly visible in banners all over China.[1]
In a country where political class struggle and socialist slogans were the normative political guidelines for decades, the idea of societal harmony attempts to bring about the fusion of socialism and democracy.
While initially the public's reaction to the idea was positive, over the years "Harmonious Society" has become a satirical placeholder for "stability at all costs." The government often uses "Harmonious Society" as a euphemism to justify the suppression of dissent and the tight control on information in China. Some social commentators have pointed out the irony that in building a "harmonious society" the country has become less just, less equal, and less fair.[2]
River crab (Chinese: 河蟹; pinyin: héxiè) is an internet slang term created by internet users in Mainland China in reference to Internet censorship. The word river crab sounds similar to the word harmonious (Chinese: 和谐; pinyin: héxié) in Mandarin Chinese. In addition, the word "harmonious" can itself also be the placeholder verb for "to censor". Something that has been censored is often referred to as having been "harmonized."