Since the SOE reforms a decade ago, the internet has become a far more widely used and powerful medium for dissent.

ECONOMIST: Global recession is hitting China��s workers hard

In 2001 Liaoning, the north-east's wealthiest province, was chosen as a national pioneer of social-security reforms that transferred the burden of looking after former SOE employees to local governments instead of enterprises, which could rarely afford adequate severance pay, let alone pensions.

ECONOMIST: Reforming the north-east