China | Send in the thugs

A violent response to protests in China’s Henan province

Thousands of people lost access to their savings. Then bullies beat them up

Demonstrators hold banners during a protest over the freezing of deposits by rural-based banks, outside a People's Bank of China building in Zhengzhou, Henan province, China July 10, 2022, in this screengrab taken from video obtained by Reuters. THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY.
|SHANGHAI

Though he lives in Beijing, Guo Jiang deposited 1m yuan ($150,000) in a tiny bank in Henan province, nearly 700km away, earlier this year. It seemed a good idea at the time. The bank promised higher interest rates than its competitors. He found it using a service provided by Baidu, a reputable online-search giant. Since bank deposits are guaranteed, there appeared to be little to worry about. But Mr Guo has spent the past few months trying to recover his money.

This article appeared in the China section of the print edition under the headline “Send in the thugs”

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