Chinese Villagers Clash With State-Owned Rubber Firm in Hainan Over Tree Clearing

A violent confrontation broke out in China’s Hainan province on Oct. 31 after a state-owned enterprise (SOE) allegedly cut down local farmers’ betel nut trees without permission, triggering protests, property damage, and a heavy police presence, according to footage circulating online and interviews conducted by The Epoch Times.The clash erupted in Qiongzhong County when villagers accused the local branch of China Hainan Rubber Industry Group Co. Ltd.—a major SOE commonly known as Hainan Rubber—of secretly felling their betel nut trees. Videos shared on Chinese social media showed residents piling the cut trees outside the company’s office building and demanding an explanation. Protesters blocked the entrance, flipped over cars, and shouted slogans referring to the company as “bandits.”By nightfall, police officers had cordoned off the site, escorting company staff out of the building as villagers hurled stones at riot police. Some protesters later smashed the company’s signboard. The crowd dispersed only after midnight, leaving the area strewn with debris.Founded in 2005, Hainan Rubber is China’s largest natural rubber processing company and was listed on the Shanghai Stock Exchange in 2011. It currently ranks 315th on the 2025 Fortune China 500 list.Online Reactions and ScrutinyVideos of the confrontation spread rapidly online, drawing widespread discussion. Because of China’s strict online censorship, only clips shared to overseas social media remained accessible after the incident.Many Chinese users said the clash reflected a deep breakdown of trust between residents and authorities. Some praised Hainan villagers for standing up to what they saw as official overreach, while others noted that the unrest appeared to stem from long-simmering grievances that had reached a breaking point.In a statement posted on its official account on Douyin, the Chinese version of TikTok, on Oct. 31, Hainan Rubber said the disputed land lies within the boundaries of its local branch and that it holds lawful usage rights. The company accused villagers of “illegally occupying” the land for years and said it removed “non-rubber crops” after villagers refused to stop their “infringement,” leading to the confrontation.The company’s statement drew widespread skepticism online, with many users questioning its claim of land ownership. Some pointed out that Hainan Rubber was founded only in 2005, while villagers have farmed the land for decades. Others accused China’s SOEs of abusing their power, warning that if left unchecked, similar land disputes could erupt elsewhere in China.A Villager Describes the DisputeA villager from the village in Qiongzhong County spoke to The Epoch Times on Nov. 1 on condition of anonymity due to safety concerns and said that the company had since met with local farmers to discuss payments.“They’re offering double compensation,” he said. “Now the plan is to wait for the government to handle it. The police have blocked off the site so no one can go in until things calm down. People from other towns and counties came to see it, [and] it was packed.”The villager confirmed that the land legally belongs to Hainan Rubber, but said farmers have been cultivating it for more than a decade and hold contracts with the company for the land.“The company wants the land back,” he said. “There were at least a few hundred villagers at the scene, and maybe 10,000 people watching. The crowd demanded that the county government step in. Five or six cars were flipped over that night. It went on until around 3 or 4 a.m.”He added that more than a hundred police and SWAT officers were deployed but avoided making arrests.Economic StakesAccording to the villager, the dispute centers on conflicting land use priorities. The company plans to reclaim the land to plant rubber trees, while villagers prefer to grow betel nuts, a lucrative crop that is popular across southern China.“Rubber doesn’t make much money—it’s all hard labor,” he said. “You have to work every day. With betel nuts, the profits are much higher.”A well-managed betel nut tree can earn about 2,000 yuan (about $275) per year, he said, with mature orchards containing more than 1,000 trees. However, betel nut trees take at least seven years from planting to fruiting, making them especially valuable to local farmers.Deleted ReportsChinese local media outlet Xinhuanghe briefly reported on the incident in the early hours of Nov. 1, but The Epoch Times found that the story had been removed by 10 a.m.The deletion of local media coverage underscores the sensitivity surrounding land disputes and social unrest in China, where reports of confrontations with SOEs are often swiftly removed from public view.Ning Haizhong and Gu Xiaohua contributed to this report.