In recent years, Chinese private business owners have gradually become "Tang Monk's meat" in the increasingly stringent "distant-sea fishing" law enforcement. This law enforcement phenomenon not only involves the freezing and recovery of private enterprises and small merchants' accounts by police in other places, but also reflects the profit-seeking behavior of grassroots governments under financial pressure. For some business owners in the gray area, the background of distant-sea fishing law enforcement reflects the current situation of the lack of effective protection of corporate property rights. The following is an in-depth analysis of this phenomenon and its impact.

The means of distant-sea fishing: private small merchants caught in the freezing storm

Zhang Ke, who is in his 30s, runs a sports lottery distribution store in Guangzhou. He buys lottery tickets for customers through platforms such as WeChat and earns the difference. However, an account freeze in July completely changed his life. Zhang Ke's account was frozen by the public security organs in Nanle County, Puyang City, Henan Province. In desperation, he established contact with other sports lottery distribution store owners who had similar experiences and found that many people had experienced similar experiences. According to Zhang Ke, in order to "unfreeze" their accounts, some store owners were even forced to deposit money into the personal accounts of police officers in exchange for the promise of "paying fines".

Zhang Ke said that this phenomenon is not uncommon in his circle. "Any police station can freeze an account without even the approval of the court." This "distant-sea fishing" law enforcement method gives local public security departments great power, especially in the control of private business owners. A simple account freeze is enough to put many small businesses into a survival crisis.

The essence of law enforcement in different places: lack of property rights protection

Behind the phenomenon of "distant-sea fishing" law enforcement in China is the reality of increasingly tight local finances. China's long-term "one-child" policy and strict tax system have made it difficult for some local governments to survive economically. In the absence of stable fiscal revenue, some local governments "generate income" by freezing private enterprises and personal assets.

Teng Biao, a visiting professor at the City University of New York, pointed out that this "distant-sea fishing" is essentially a profit-seeking law enforcement, and can even be said to be a disguised "plunder". He pointed out that this cross-regional law enforcement and punishment behavior often occurs in areas with huge fiscal pressure, especially those that rely on land finance. "They just try to get money through various gray means, and there is no protection for the property rights of enterprises."

Layer upon layer of "collection" means: business owners are in a dilemma

During "distant-sea fishing", the police in other places often require business owners to pay money to unfreeze their accounts in the name of "fines", or even directly deposit the money into personal accounts. For some smaller-scale enterprises or self-employed individuals, this law enforcement method can directly destroy their business. Zhang Ke also admitted: "My bank account was frozen and all my deposits could not be used. Many of my peers finally chose to compromise and returned to normal life after paying the so-called "fines."

Although some business owners chose to pay fees in exchange for "relief", some people also hope to defend their rights through legal means. However, under the current legal environment in China, the road to rights protection for small business owners seems extremely difficult. Zhang Ke tried to defend his rights through various reporting platforms and hotlines, but did not receive an effective response. "I tried almost all channels, but there was no response." Zhang Ke said helplessly.

Local fiscal crisis: the root cause of the prevalence of deep-sea fishing

China's fiscal pressure is one of the root causes of the increasing enforcement of deep-sea fishing-style law enforcement. In the past, local governments relied on land finance and real estate development to obtain income, but in recent years, with the sluggish property market, local government revenue has gradually declined, and the fiscal dilemma has become increasingly serious. Under such circumstances, it has become a common phenomenon for local police to obtain additional funds from business owners and small businesses through deep-sea fishing.

According to Jiemian News, some regions even use case fines as the main source of departmental funds, and some law enforcement agencies have formed a bond of interest with local governments with tight finances. This has led to the intensification of profit-seeking law enforcement and the sense of powerlessness of business owners in the face of law enforcement.

The survival problem of enterprises: helplessness and the road to rights protection

For many private business owners, in China's business environment, regardless of the size of the enterprise, they face the risk of being labeled as "illegal operation" at any time. This is not only related to the profit-seeking motives of law enforcement agencies, but also reflects the vulnerability of the private economy under legal protection. Teng Biao pointed out that under the current legal framework, local governments can easily find "gray areas" to constrain business owners.

Zhang Ke's experience highlights this point. Although his sports lottery distribution business complies with general industry practices, it is still in a gray area in law, giving local police sufficient reasons to suppress it. In the context of lack of legal protection, many business owners eventually have to choose to compromise in exchange for the normal operation of their business.

Social impact and public dissatisfaction: concerns about the future

The prevalence of the "distant-sea fishing" phenomenon has made private business owners and small merchants full of anxiety about the future. Zhang Ke said frankly: "I tried everything, but there was no response. The public security bureau abused its power like a gangster, and no one came to manage them." This situation is not an isolated case in China, and more and more small business owners are facing similar situations.

At present, some business owners are seeking overseas survival opportunities, especially after a series of profit-seeking law enforcement, their confidence in the domestic market is gradually losing. Zhang Ke said that he originally loved this country, but after all this, he finally understood why many rich people chose to go abroad. "I finally know how terrible it is to have no freedom."

The future of distant-water fishing law enforcement

"Distant-water fishing" law enforcement highlights the difficult situation of Chinese private enterprises under the downward pressure of the economy and reflects the impact of the local fiscal crisis on the law enforcement ecology. In this environment, business owners face continuous survival challenges. How to protect the property rights of business owners and regulate law enforcement in the future will be an issue that the Chinese government has to face.

In the future, if the phenomenon of distant-water fishing is to be reversed, it may be necessary to fundamentally improve local fiscal pressures and establish a more fair and transparent legal system to protect the legitimate rights and interests of private enterprises. Only in a sound legal environment can business owners find a safe place to operate in the market, and the Chinese economy can truly benefit from it.