China Urges That Unrest Be Defused After 'Jasmine' Revolt Wilts

China's domestic security chief has warned that the government must find new ways to defuse unrest in a fast-changing society.

Zhou Yongkang, the ruling Communist Party's top law-and-order official, told officials they had to "adapt to new trends and imperatives in economic and social development."

The comments come after police dispersed a crowd of a few dozen people who gathered in central Beijing and Shanghai on February 20 after calls spread on overseas Chinese websites urging "jasmine revolution" gatherings.

The call, which reportedly originated on a U.S.-based Chinese-language website and reverberated among other smallish sites, follows ousters in Tunisia and Egypt after public uprisings there and threats of instability as Mideast demonstrations continue.

compiled from Reuters reports