Teaching Comparative Government and Politics

Monday, October 29, 2012

More protests in China, part 2

The Chinese government announced changes that seemed designed to placate protesters about a new petrochemical factory. Why? Is this an early sign of post-materialism in China?

China steps carefully with protesting middle class

A victory by protesters against the expansion of a chemical plant proves the new rule in China: The authoritarian government is scared of middle-class rebellion and will give in if the demonstrators’ aims are limited and not openly political.

It’s far from a revolution. China’s nascent middle class, the product of the past decade’s economic boom, is looking for better government, not a different one…

Given that pressure and the fact that many Ningbo officials also have middle-class concerns about air pollution and other quality-of-life issues, the local government found it easier to back off, Peking University sociologist Liu Neng said.

‘‘The government would need lots of courage to insist on keeping this project. The cost would be too high if the protest escalated to another level,’’ Liu said. ‘‘Since the 18th party congress is around the corner, it is very important to maintain stability.’’

The protests underscore the challenge the incoming leaders face in governing an increasingly wealthy — and wired — population who are growing more assertive about issues they care about. Democratic movements in places such as South Korea and Taiwan started with the middle class, and in Taiwan’s case environmental issues featured prominently…

In the compromises of recent years, the outlines of an unspoken protest compact have emerged: Keep the demonstrations peaceful and focus largely on local issues, and the backlash will be minimal.

The crowds in the Ningbo protests carried smartphones and had mobile Internet connections. Though they often displayed a large dose of skepticism about the party’s official rhetoric, they also urged fellow protesters to stay calm and not fight back against police…