Getting cut in line, stepping on people's fresh spit, or a dog's fresh droppings aren't exactly situations that are going to make your day.

Key points: Citizens in and around Beijing are invited to determine 'civilised' behaviour

Citizens in and around Beijing are invited to determine 'civilised' behaviour They're also asked to submit ideas on how to punish 'uncivilised' behaviour

They're also asked to submit ideas on how to punish 'uncivilised' behaviour Some view this as an extension of President Xi Jinping's emboldened social control

Within some Australian jurisdictions, those responsible for these urban living no-nos may be met with fines, or a strong word from a disgruntled fellow citizen watching on.

But in China's national capital region — a municipal council incorporating the cities of Beijing, Tianjin and Heibei known as Jing-Jin-Ji — authorities have taken things to a whole new level, as they are giving residents a chance to vote on what "civilised" and "uncivilised" behaviours the city should encourage and punish.

Currently, an online survey is open to all residents wishing to log their views on these behaviours, and doing so involves explaining why they support the council's move (there is no survey section where citizens can lodge a dissenting view).

According to the survey, some forms of "uncivilised behaviour" include distracting public square dancing, engaging in "feudal superstition", and donning the "Beijing bikini" — a habit of predominantly older men who roll their shirts up exposing their midriff to keep cool on hot days.

For those looking to be "civilised", donating blood, returning dropped money or discouraging smokers in public are some of the deeds that could give a citizen a credibility boost in the eyes of municipal authorities.

'Socialism with Chinese characteristics'

President Xi has sought to reinvigorate the Chinese Communist Party's political rhetoric among ordinary Chinese. ( AP: Nicolas Asfouri, pool )

The survey joins a list of other initiatives from Chinese cities — part of Beijing's ambitious Social Credit System — that have sought to punish "uncivilised" behaviours in a variety of ways ranging from public shaming to fines.

In the eastern city of Jinan for example, efforts to outlaw the Beijing bikini involve verbal warnings and public naming and shaming.

While it might be notably ironic that some Chinese citizens are able to vote on decisions that may go on to punish their peers, Beatriz Carrillo Garcia — a Chinese social development expert at the University of Sydney — told the ABC that surveys like Beijing's were not anything new.

"The Chinese have been running social surveys for some time now, mainly to establish what people think are the key social issues," she said.

Discouraged 'uncivilised behaviour' Spitting, not using toilets, or throwing litter

Spitting, not using toilets, or throwing litter Not classifying waste

Not classifying waste Walking dogs without a leash, not picking up their faeces, or rearing large or strong dogs illegally

Walking dogs without a leash, not picking up their faeces, or rearing large or strong dogs illegally Burning paper money on the street or roadside

Burning paper money on the street or roadside Storing personal items in communal corridors

Storing personal items in communal corridors Smoking in public places where smoking is prohibited

Smoking in public places where smoking is prohibited Disobeying traffic rules as a pedestrian or in vehicles other than cars

Disobeying traffic rules as a pedestrian or in vehicles other than cars Cutting lines, stealing someone's seat, or shouting loudly on public transport

Cutting lines, stealing someone's seat, or shouting loudly on public transport Being loud while watching sports or arts performances, or littering at performance venues

Being loud while watching sports or arts performances, or littering at performance venues Square dancing that disturb others

Square dancing that disturb others Throwing things from the upper floors of a building

Throwing things from the upper floors of a building Parking share bikes messily after using them

Parking share bikes messily after using them Graffiti, or scrawling over small advertisements

Graffiti, or scrawling over small advertisements Trampling over flowers and plants, destroying greenery, and damaging public property

Trampling over flowers and plants, destroying greenery, and damaging public property Exposing your upper body, damaging the appearance of a city

Exposing your upper body, damaging the appearance of a city Using rude or coarse language, spreading bad taste, and feudal superstition online

Using rude or coarse language, spreading bad taste, and feudal superstition online Wasting food in restaurants

Wasting food in restaurants Using fireworks or firecrackers in violation of bans

In recent years, forging new, creative ways to engage with the Chinese people has been a concern of the country's ruling Chinese Communist Party (CCP).

This has involved giving younger Chinese citizens the chance to access President Xi Jinping's thoughts via an app, as well as state-sponsored rap and anime designed to maintain fidelity to the Communist regime.

In April, this was foreshadowed in a speech from by Mr Xi.

"In the new era, Chinese youth should establish their belief in Marxism, faith in socialism with Chinese characteristics, and the confidence of the great rejuvenation of the Chinese nation and the Chinese dream," he said.

Even within the Jing-Jin-Ji's municipal survey, this ethos is also reflected.

"In order to conscientiously implement the decision-making arrangements of the central and municipal committees, vigorously promote the core values ​​of socialism, and constantly improve the quality of civilized citizens in the capital and the level of civilized city construction, we are now conducting a questionnaire survey," it read.

Delia Lin a senior lecturer in Chinese Studies at the University of Melbourne's Asia Institute, told the ABC that the survey is emblematic of the Chinese Government's desire to use democratic characteristics to prove that Communism is a better alternative to democracy.

"Even though democracy is listed as the CCP's core social values, they don't really recognise democracy as a good system for human society," Dr Lin said.

"Under President Xi Jinping, he wants to create a new political system that is going to work better than a democratic system … [the state] wants to say they're better than democracy."

'Every behaviour says something about who a person is'

Sorry, this video has expired Could China pull off a Social Credit System by 2020?

Encouraged 'civilised behaviour' Being brave and fighting against uncivilised behaviour, bad people and bad things

Being brave and fighting against uncivilised behaviour, bad people and bad things Volunteering and engaging with social welfare

Volunteering and engaging with social welfare Organising or participating in charitable activities, such as poverty assistance, relief, disaster relief, student support, and medical assistance

Organising or participating in charitable activities, such as poverty assistance, relief, disaster relief, student support, and medical assistance Donating blood, hematopoietic stem cells, human tissues, organs or remains

Donating blood, hematopoietic stem cells, human tissues, organs or remains Helping the poor and elderly and calling for ambulances and aids in the event of an emergency

Helping the poor and elderly and calling for ambulances and aids in the event of an emergency Returning dropped money to its owner or leaving it with relevant government departments

Returning dropped money to its owner or leaving it with relevant government departments Road safety, taking the initiative to guide travellers, and reporting uncivilised traffic behaviour

Road safety, taking the initiative to guide travellers, and reporting uncivilised traffic behaviour Being waste-conscious, including classifying waste and persuading others to do so

Being waste-conscious, including classifying waste and persuading others to do so Paying attention to personal hygiene and keeping public spaces clean

Paying attention to personal hygiene and keeping public spaces clean Discouraging smoking in non-smoking places, stopping the lighting of fireworks and firecrackers, raising dogs poorly etc.

Discouraging smoking in non-smoking places, stopping the lighting of fireworks and firecrackers, raising dogs poorly etc. Turning away from feudal superstition, such as burning paper money

Turning away from feudal superstition, such as burning paper money Participating in joint-governance and actively assisting government or grassroots organisations to maintain public safety and order

While the survey may appear to give those in and around Beijing agency, Dr Lin said that the method is a cunning form of authoritarian social control.

"Framing social problems with the discourse of [civility] has been so effective that it's shaped how people view social problems and their cures," she said.

She explained that the survey speaks to a governing process where ordinary citizens are authors of the punishment they may one day face.

"[This is] what I like to call 'participatory authoritarianism," she said.

"[President] Xi has taken it to an ideological level, in the sense that socialist core values are everywhere in China — it's something everyone needs to be conscious of."

While some of the behaviours officially listed by Jing-Jin-Ji authorities are not too far from behaviours considered a breach of Australian social and legal rules, the difference lies in how the state attempts to modify them.

"Embedded in Confucian governing is shame, which is a ubiquitous feeling around the world, but in China it's considered a good thing," Dr Lin said.

She said this manifests in a specific cultural attitude, where people's mistakes are seen as a direct value judgement of their worth in society, rather than simply being seen as a small misstep.

For the time being, Jing-Jin-Ji's behavioural survey is open to the public and the authority's plan to the responses will be implemented in coming months.

While the survey may touch on broader existential and political concerns about China's urbanisation and its political system, it also may just highlight our desire to be free from bodily fluids in public.

"Please hurry up, I can't stand people spitting everywhere while walking," one Weibo user wrote.

The ABC contacted the relevant municipal authorities for comment but they were unable to reply by the time of publication.