Presentation Outline III. Citizens, Society, and the State a)Political socialization b)Cleavages c)Civil society/ interest groups d)Linkage institutions e)Dissent

III. a) Political Socialization 1)Mass line 2)Schools 3)University Campuses 4)Family How would you define political socialization?

The Mass line Mao introduced the concept of the mass line to Communist China The idea is that the Party would influence and spread its message to the masses through slogans which would be displayed in every village across the country Since the end of the Cultural Revolution (1969), the mass line has continued in the form of the official Communist Party newspaper (The People’s Daily) and state television (CCTV) Above: a poster showing Mao’s call to the masses for continuous revolutionary struggle during the Cultural Revolution ( )

Left: today’s mass line from the People’s Daily newspaper, China’s most widely read newspaper. Below: China state television (CCTV) articulates the Party’s message. Dramas about the period of Japanese occupation are frequently shown and arouse nationalist and anti- Japanese sentiments. (below-left)

Public Schools China’s education system focuses on Chinese patriotic education (nationalism) and instilling a reverence for the Party and its leaders. Events such as the 1989 Tiananmen Square massacre are not included in the curriculum and are considered taboo subjects

University Campuses University campuses were hotbeds of political activism in the late 1970s to late 1980s Political socialization centred around democratization, student activism, and protest Since 1989 university campuses are monitored for student activism and are no longer major centres of political socialization Student activism is has roots in China’s political culture. Students played leading roles in the May 4 th 1919 Movement, and as Red Guards in the Cultural Revolution

III. b) Cleavages 1)Ethnic separatism in Tibet and the Uyghur autonomous region 2)Class and regional disparities

Ethnic Separatism China’s Tibetans and Uyghurs are geographically isolated from the rest of Han China

Uyghur Autonomous Region (East Turkestan/ Xinjiang) Uyghurs consider themselves a separate nation They are a Turkic people and are Sunni Muslims

Although minorities in China do have some control over language and education, benefit from favourable university quotas and are exempt from the One Child policy, many are demanding more autonomy and even outright independence. Riots and unrest occur periodically in both the Uyghur Autonomous region and Tibet. The Chinese army is often called in to crush the demonstrations.

Tibet Tibet, too, has been the scene of ethnic unrest in recent years. Like the Uyghurs, the Tibetans are a distinct nation with their own language, culture, and religion.

Class and regional disparities Since Deng’s economic reforms class divisions and regional disparities have emerged. China’s east coast has grown wealthy while its interior western region lag behinds in poverty Even within big cities on the east coast such as Beijing and Shanghai poverty and wealth coexist Let some people get rich first.Poverty is not socialism. To be rich is glorious. - Deng Xiaoping

Tibet and the Uyghur Autonomous region are also China’s poorest provinces, further exacerbating existing ethnic cleavages

A Tale of Two Chinas! Above and below: poor school children in rural Northern China

CHINA China has significantly higher income inequality than most of East Asia Can China still be considered a communist state given its high level of income inequality?

III. c) Civil Society/ Interest groups Civil society in China is heavily restricted by the government. Nevertheless, citizens do organize and articulate their interests to the government. The results of these citizen-initiated petitions and demonstrations produce reactions ranging from government acquiescence to state violence, arrests, imprisonment, and even death.

Managed Civil Society (Government channels) Citizens can join state-approved interest groups and articulate interests within these organizations to the ruling Communist Party: 1) All-China Federation of Trade Unions 2) All-China Women's Federation 3) Communist Youth League

Bottom Right: Communist Youth League Right: All-China Federation of Trade Unions Left: All-China Women’s Federation

“Approved” Demonstrations Public demonstrations are permitted only upon approval by the Communist Party. The Party does NOT permit demonstrations criticizing the government, the regime, or any policies. Demonstrations which are not aimed at the government or Party are occasionally permitted. An interesting case is the frequent anti-Japanese rallies which are not only permitted but even tacitly encouraged by the Party. Why do you think the Communist Party would approve anti-Japanese rallies?

Right: another government “approved “demonstration of Chinese citizens protesting Japan’s claim to islands in the East China Sea.

“Unapproved Demonstrations” Most demonstrations that occur in China are NOT permitted by the authorities Demonstrations that are seen to threaten the legitimacy of the Communist Party are usually dealt with harshly However, some cases, the Communist Party makes concessions in order to end the demonstrations and prop up its own legitimacy 1)Falun Gong 2)Environmental Activism 3)Anti-corruption demonstrations

Falun Gong Falun Gong is a spiritual organization which prospered and thrived in China until By the late 1990s the Falun Gong counted nearly as many members as the Chinese Communist Party. The Party began to consider Falun Gong a subversive, opposition movement, though there is no evidence that Falun Gong ever engaged in political opposition. After a massive gathering of Falun Gong practitioners in Beijing in 1999 (see picture on the right), the Falun Gong was officially banned.

Environmental Activism Above: PX chemical factory protest in Dalian, China: August, 2011 Around 12,000 Chinese citizens demonstrated outside Dalian’s city hall demanding the closure of a join-venture state owned chemical company that was allegedly emitting chemical toxins into the water supply. Though some of the “ring leaders” of the demonstration were arrested by police, the government did make a concession to the demonstrators that they would close the factory. Source: The Economist (August 26 th 2011), p.41.

Anti-corruption demonstrations Above left: Mothers who lost children in the 2008 Sichuan earthquake demonstrate in a public square in Chongqing demanding an investigation into alleged faulty building construction that may have been responsible for the enormous death toll. Police closely monitor the mothers. Above right: Mothers of infants who died from tainted milk protest in Beijing demanding answers from the Party as well as compensation.

III. d) Linkage institutions How would you define a linkage institution? Even in authoritarian states there are approved ways for citizens to contact government officials and influence government policy. 1)Joining the Communist Party 2)Using the government hotline 3)Writing petitions to the Communist Party

Above right: Government Hotline established in the mid 1980s to improve transparency Above right: 8% of Chinese belong to the Communist Party, one of the main ways to influence politics in China

III. e) Dissent Dissent is occasionally tolerated within the Party (democratic centralism) but never from outside Nevertheless, a number of courageous citizens have taken great risks to speak out and challenge the regime on issues concerning democracy, freedom of religion, freedom of speech, human rights, and environmental protection

Above left: The 1978 Democracy Wall- The Communist Party briefly permitted citizens to express grievances on a public wall in Beijing. When the grievances turned into demands for more democratization, the Party quashed discussion. Vocal democracy activist Wei Jinsheng (above right) was arrested and appears above at his show trial.

Tiananmen Square (1989) Above right: Deng Xiaoping orders the PLA to crush the student demonstration. Thousands are killed during as a result. Above left: Thousands of students gather in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square in June, 1989 demanding democratization and greater political freedoms

Tienananmen Square Video

Political Activists Above left: Liu Xiabo was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for criticizing the Chinese government’s human rights record. Liu was arrested in 2010 and remains under house arrest. Above right: Ai Weiwei defiantly displays his disdain for the Communist Party in Tiananmen Square. Ai has criticized the Party’s human rights abuses. He was briefly imprisoned in 2011 and remains under close Party watch.

Discussion Questions 1)Compare and contrast civil society in Russia and China 2)Compare and contrast how Russia and China have dealt with ethnic unrest and separatism. 3)Will China become more democratic or more authoritarian in the next decade?