With the chasm between rich and poor widening every day, disgruntled Chinese have turned to spitting on private cars and slashing their tires to vent their anger, the official media said Thursday.
"One get-rich-quick couple bought a Volkswagen Santana and parked it in the courtyard," the China Youth Daily said. "The next morning his car was covered in spit.""Another night, all the cars parked in a Beijing lane had their tires slashed," the newspaper added.
China's economic reforms have enabled a few citizens to strike it very rich, but rampant inflation, rising unemployment and widespread official corruption have alienated large segments of society.
While some Beijingers are making more than 100,000 yuan ($11,900) a month, others are surviving on only 12,000 yuan ($143) a year.
"This (vandalism) is a form whereby some people air their hatred over the gap between rich and poor," the newspaper said.