“…On the one hand, social stability has been acclaimed as a hallmark achievement by the ruling Chinese Communist Party, and weiwen (stability maintenance) has been a top priority for the state autocracy (Scoggins, 2018). Consequently, minimization of mass protests and public grievances (either through preemptive elimination or peaceful resolution) has been an important benchmark in awarding promotion to government officials (Mirić & Pechenkina, 2022). On the other hand, there is tolerance for and responsiveness to-albeit limitedpublic dissent and protests of aggrieved citizens, and the official measure may range from reconciliation to co-option and brutal suppression, depending on the nature of the demands and issues at hand (Li, 2019).…”