The Chinese government is stepping up measures to root out potential troublemakers and curb social discontent, after a spate of mass killings rocked the country and fueled public safety fears.

Armed police were stationed in front of the schools, and bollards were placed nearby to prevent cars from ramming into people. Police officers have stepped up patrols in supermarkets, tourist attractions and other crowded places, and have vowed to better regulate the use of knives and other weapons. Officials also promised to help the unemployed and distribute holiday subsidies to the needy.

The security effort, dubbed “Operation Winter” by authorities in some places, follows a string of recent attacks that have put renewed attention on China’s struggling economy. In November, a driver plowed into a crowd outside a sports center in the city of Zhuhai, killing at least 35 people. The deadliest attack in China in a decade. AND stabbing that killed eight peopleand another car crashing in front of the schoolit followed barely a week later. In all three cases, officials said the perpetrators were expressing financial dissatisfaction.

After the attack in Zhuhai, Chinese leader Xi Jinping ordered officials to “strictly prevent extreme cases”. Authorities at all levels raced to comply.

The drivers in two car attacks were sentenced to death late last month in unusually swift trials that showed the government’s determination to crack down on would-be copycats.

Projecting stability and control has long been one of the ruling Chinese Communist Party’s biggest preoccupations, its implicit justification for curtailing citizens’ civil liberties. But this preoccupation has become even more important due to high youth unemployment, large executions and worsening international relations have fueled general concern about China’s future. Some civil servants have remained unpaid as local government finances stagnate.

Public protests, mostly related to economic issues such as investment losses or unpaid wages, rose 18 percent in the first 11 months of 2024, compared with a year earlier, according to tracking by Freedom House, a Washington-based advocacy group.

But Beijing has remained reluctant to strengthen the country’s social safety net or offer significant direct relief to consumers. Instead, it has relied on tougher tactics to weed out those with grievances.

The central government urged officials to ensure social stability during the holiday season, saying in a Dec. 27 notice that they should “conduct investigations into all kinds of conflicts and hidden risks and dangers.”

In Yinchuan, a city in northwest China, police officers were investigating whether there had been incidents of bullying or disagreements between teachers or students, according to news.

In Yancheng, eastern China, police checked karaoke bars, rental houses and hotels for potential vagrants.

On a recent meeting villagers and local party officials in the central province of Henan, police “encouraged everyone to actively report any conflicts and disputes that have recently occurred in the village.” Under Mr. Xi, the Chinese government has rthey again urged ordinary residents to look out for each other.

The central government routinely issues guidelines on ensuring a safe holiday season. But this year, the instructions on social stability were more detailed. They singled out places to watch — including campuses and sports fields — and urged officials to monitor public opinion and provide “positive guidance.”

Discussions about the attacks and economic discontent in general were strictly censored. Relatives of the victims were also prevented from talking to journalists.

Economists and public commentators suggest that the government should focus more on boosting consumer confidence and offering ordinary people stronger protection against financial hardship. The authorities have occasionally acknowledged these demands, for example in their pledges to fight wage delays for migrant workers or to give homeless or disabled people holiday homes.

This month, many civil servants across the country discovered they had received a surprise pay rise, according to discussions on social media, although the government did not make any official announcement.

Nevertheless, many calls for significant reforms are censored, and are themselves considered a threat to social stability.

“They should have been looking for what forces turned these people into beasts, but instead they ran off to investigate the ‘five types of losers,'” Li Chengpeng, a former prominent Chinese journalist now living abroad, she wrote on social networks. He was referring to notices from local authorities that circulated online and directed officials to monitor people who had suffered losses, such as jobs or investments.

Yet the same economic crisis that may be fueling some people’s discontent may also make it harder to maintain heightened security measures.

Many local governments are already swimming in debt. They are now under great pressure to respond to Mr Xi’s call to prevent mass incidents, but their money and manpower will soon come under pressure, he said. Hongshen Zhuassistant professor at Lingnan University in Hong Kong studying Chinese governance.

“As long as there are no new incidents, public safety will be a priority for local authorities until the next public protest,” he said.