China leader warns about unrest due to economy

The Chinese leadership’s law-and-order czar is warning that the country is ill-prepared to handle social unrest amid a changing economy,in the latest sign Beijing is worried about flagging growth.

State media reported today that Politburo member Zhou Yongkang told a meeting of provincial officials that the government needs new methods for dealing with what he called the negative effects of the market economy. Zhou said coming up with better ways to manage social change is an urgent task.

Zhou’s remarks underscore government uneasiness about an economic slowdown and the social unrest it might bring.

Strikes and other job actions have increased recently as factories retrench in response to higher labor costs and reduced demand for exports from the West.