In a recent opinion piece, Lijia Zhang addresses the pressing issue of moral decline in China, highlighting a disturbing incident in Kunshan where human waste was carelessly thrown from a high-rise building. This act prompted authorities to conduct DNA tests on residents to identify the culprit. Zhang notes that from 2016 to 2018, there were 31 reported criminal cases of high-rise littering, with half of these incidents resulting in fatalities. This alarming trend reflects a broader societal issue that has been evolving over the years [e3957efc].
The author references the 2011 'Yueyue incident'—a tragic case where a two-year-old girl was left to die after being run over by two vehicles—as a pivotal moment that sparked public discourse on morality in China. Professor He Huaihong attributes the decline in moral standards to the rise of materialism and utilitarianism, which have been exacerbated by the increasing influence of capitalism in the country [e3957efc].
While President Xi Jinping's anti-corruption campaign has achieved notable successes, Zhang argues that it lacks the necessary transparency to foster genuine trust among the populace. She emphasizes the importance of education and the revival of traditional values as crucial steps toward combating this ethical decay. A recent court case, where a woman was sentenced for throwing excrement from her apartment, serves as a stark reminder of the consequences of such moral lapses [e3957efc].
Zhang's commentary raises critical questions about the future of Chinese society and the collective responsibility to restore ethical standards in public behavior. As the nation grapples with these challenges, the need for a cultural shift towards valuing morality and ethics has never been more urgent [e3957efc].