China’s Tangshan city stripped of ‘civilised’ status after brutal attack on women diners
- Tangshan won the coveted honorary label of National Civilised City in 2011
- Vicious attack on June 10 has sparked nationwide outrage on gender-based and gang violence
Nine people were arrested for the vicious assault in the northern Chinese city, which started after one of the women objected to being harassed. The incident, captured on security cameras, sparked outrage across China and renewed condemnation of gender-based violence.
“The honour of a civilised city belongs to all citizens and cannot be smeared or desecrated. All sectors of the society should cherish and jointly protect the goodwill of civilisation and the warmth of the city,” state-backed daily China City News said on Wednesday.
The National Civilised City status, an award developed by the Chinese Communist Party’s propaganda department, is widely regarded as the highest honorary title for a city. In all, 290 of the country’s 600 cities, districts and towns had won the much sought-after title as of last October.
Cities are judged on factors including their image, intellectual capital, government effectiveness and integrity, the fairness of the legal environment, market regulation, environmental health and sustainable development. The grading is carried out through surveys and inspections, and reviewed every three years.
The withdrawal of Tangshan’s civilised status – which it won in 2011 – comes less than two weeks after CCTV footage of the fierce restaurant attack went viral.
