By BRIAN SPEGELE
BEIJING—A tense calm appeared to hold over the weekend in the southern Chinese city of Lufeng, following days of riots over alleged government land grabs—unrest that reflected growing resentment over ties between Communist Party officials and property developers.
Local officials met with residential leaders from the area where the riots had taken place, and promised to investigate their complaints, according to a report in the Southern Daily, an official newspaper in Guangdong province. The Saturday report, posted on the website of Shanwei—a city with jurisdictional responsibility over Lufeng—said the situation had "basically settled down."
The protests began Wednesday and continued Thursday, following complaints that land had been seized without compensation, a practice central authorities have struggled to stamp out in recent years. Land disputes have become one of the Communist Party's greatest sources of instability.
Local residents said more than 1,000 people took part in the protests, some of them smashing businesses and destroying police vehicles. More than 10 police were injured, as were several protesters, according to a government statement and local residents.
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