Society China

How do people participate independently of the government? China intro How do people participate independently of the government?

Civil Society China

Civil society did not exist in Mao’s China Any organized interests outside the party state were considered illegitimate and potentially harmful. Ethnic, religious, labor, and other associations not fully controlled by the state were eliminated. Now, the party has created mass organizations to control society and mobilize social groups to fulfill its own national goals

China Civil Society GONGOs GONGOS – Government Operated Non-Governmental Organizations These are “legitimate” organizations formed by the CCP so they can be co-opted and monitored by the party. These groups are led by party officials and help the state in disseminating information and implementing policies They include groups like the All China Women’s Federation, Youth Development Foundation, and the All China Federation of Trade Unions

China Civil Society NGOs There are now a growing number of NGOs The party state has gradually allowed increasing numbers of NGOs There are now more than half a million registered NGOs, restricted to nonpolitical arenas like providing services to the poor. Additional unregistered NGOs have emerged in cities that are at least tolerated by the state. They provide services the local govts are unable to provide

China Civil Society Middle Class Economic reforms have led to the growth of a middle class In 2001, the communist party began to welcome capitalists into the CCP. Red capitalists are private entrepreneurs who belong to the CCP They have benefitted from economic reform, and so have little reason to challenge the state or demand new policies

Following Tiananmen Square in 1989, the party launched a repression China Civil Society Repression All attempts to form unauthorized political or social interest groups have been swiftly repressed Following Tiananmen Square in 1989, the party launched a repression There is a cycle of rebellion, state repression, and renewed social resistance

China Civil Society Protests Peasant protests against taxes and illegal land seizures are increasingly common Chinese scholars reported around 500 protests each day in 2010. That represents 4x the number reported a decade earlier

Falun Gong is a meditative martial arts sect founded in 1992 China Civil Society Falun Gong After Tiananmen Square, the state launched a repression campaign against Falun Gong Falun Gong is a meditative martial arts sect founded in 1992 The state initially promoted them, but they grew and the CCP cracked down They still have tens of millions of followers despite being banned by the CCP. Thousands of followers have been arrested by the state.

They have no job security or legal residency China Civil Society Floating Populations China’s population of migrant workers is estimated at over 200 million and predicted to double by 2025. They have no job security or legal residency Most cities have responded by building ‘urban villages” right outside of the cities in order to keep the populations out of the cities and to isolate the problems associated with them.

China Civil Society Internet China has half a billion active users of the internet 900 million people have mobile phones. This amount of users is testing the regime’s capacity to monitor their networking activities and censor access. More internet interaction could lead to more grassroots movements that call for democratization and end of CCP rule.

Ethnic & National Identity China

China Ethnicity Ethnicity China is populated mostly by Han Chinese who make up more than 90% There is linguistic diversity among the Han Chinese – 8 language groups & hundreds of dialects. Beijing has made Mandarin the official language of government and education Younger Chinese people have prioritized use of Mandarin

Some groups have a long history of resistance to the Chinese state China Ethnicity Ethnicity Most minority nationalities reside in “autonomous areas” that make up 60% of Chinese territories Some groups have a long history of resistance to the Chinese state China struggles to maintain sovereignty over its border regions, particularly in the western regions.

Tibet is still over 90% ethnic Tibetan China Ethnicity Tibet Tibetans are concentrated in the southwest and demand increased autonomy An uprising in Tibet in 1959 allowed the PRC to eliminate most opposition in Tibet and forced the Dali Lama into exile. China continues to face pressure from Tibet and the outside world to give grant independence to regions like Tibet. Tibet is still over 90% ethnic Tibetan The most recent demonstrations took place in 2008 and resulted in violence from the state.

China Ethnicity Border Regions Recent discoveries of fossil fuels in western China have made these areas more important to Chinese authorities China’s economic development has shifted to regions like Central and South Asia and the Middle East. The government is spending billions on infrastructure projects in these areas The projects bring money and create jobs but lead to waves of Han Chinese moving into the areas, outnumbering the local populations

Ideology China

China Ideology Ideology Under Mao, the state shaped political culture through propaganda The importance of communist ideas has waned since Mao’s death. Communist ideology is most likely to have some hold over people in the countryside Mao rejected Confucianism but leaders now embrace these values as a source of legitimacy

China Ideology Traditional Authoritarianism China has had a long history of centrally imposed authoritarian politics. Mao moved the capital back to Beijing to connect it back to the dynasty system. Communist regime replicated elements of the imperial system. It still uses competitive national exams to determine university admission and qualifications for state bureaucracy.

China Ideology Confucianism Mao thought the Cultural Revolution would end Confucianism forever. Post-Mao leadership has embraced elements of Confucian philosophy The role of the govt is to impose a strict moral code and correct behavior Hierarchy & social order are important Peace, order, and stability flow from the proper actions of benevolent superiors to obedient inferiors who know their rightful place and act accordingly.

China Ideology Maoism Mao needed the CCP to alter the way people think & create a new socialist man He promoted constant class struggle and emphasized the collective over the individual Mao thought revolutionary thought could replace Chinese values. The party promoted those ideas through constant propaganda, mass campaigns, and the education system. Since Mao’s death, Maoism and communism have lost importance.

Hosting the Olympics in 2008 stirred nationalist sentiment China Ideology Nationalism A strong sense of national pride is now used by the CCP to gain legitimacy. Using perceived slights against China, the CCP uses nationalism to maintain support for the political system. Hosting the Olympics in 2008 stirred nationalist sentiment The party also stirs nationalist sentiment by using territorial disputes with Japan and over islands in the South China Sea.

Xi knows these answers… China

Main Ideas China Mao’s Main Ideas Civil Society Ethnic challenges Maoism Mao’s Main Ideas Nationalism