China: Tolerating or Cracking Down on Dissent?

China is modifying the regulations that govern the Chinese system for petitioning the government, making it easier for disaffected citizens to present their grievances, and requiring officials to respond within 60 days. China's petition system has served as the starting point for major displays of unrest, and Beijing's regulatory changes in part seek to remove this catalyst for public protest. Intriguingly, the method by which the government changed the regulations sparked a commentary Feb. 24 in the official China Daily, the very existence of which could represent part of a trend toward greater government tolerance of dissent, in addition to signifying that dissatisfaction with government actions might be deeper than Beijing would like to admit.