Political opposition

1
Political opposition
2
Democratisation?

• Democracy has been very slow in coming
• The CCP still has no opposition and no checks or
  balances the way we in the West take for granted
• There are no free elections, except at a minor
  local level
• The media is state owned and gagged

3
media

• Not one of the Chinas estimated 11,000
  newspapers and magazines or 600 radio stations
  can comment on Chinese political issues without
  having it cleared by the party

4
media

• BBC, Washington Post and CNN sits blocked almost
  continuously
• Books and magazines now air a far wider range of
  opinion than would have been allowed 10 years ago
  though praising multi-party democracy is still
  banned as is the formation of any organised
  political group

5
Internet

• However The growth of the internet is allowing
  the forces of reform to air their views
• There is a growing band of troublemakers
• Although chat rooms and search engines are
  censored

6
Change?

• The November 2002 change at the top has however
  raised hopes that change may be on its way
• The Tiananmen square generation has now gone
• The CCP accepts that while it will not give up
  power or have free elections it must become more
  accountable

Chinese authorities have defended their move to
use force in 1989
7
Democratic Parties

• Although there are 8 other political parties in
  China, collectively known as the democratic
  parties, they do not exist in opposition to the
  CPC
• For example China Democratic league and China
  democratic National Construction Association

8
Democratic Parties

• They do not have separate political programmes to
  offer, do not seek mass membership
• In 1997 a letter was sent to these parties saying
  long term coexistence and mutual supervision
  was the CPCs policy

The activists who formed the China Democratic
party remain in jail!
9
Dissidents

• Activists who tried to organise Chinas first
  nationwide opposition still in jail
• Wei Jingsheng was in prison until recently, Wang
  Dan is in exile in the US
• Asia Watch, human rights group claims repression
  has increased as the CPC feels uneasy about its
  grip on the country

10
Anti-Japan rallies

• Anti- Japanese feeling has led to demonstrations
  since 1919 originally over the control Japan
  exercised over China
• In May 2005 the recent outpour of anger was the
  Japanese education ministrys decision to approve
  a textbook which critics say whitewashes
  atrocities

11
Anti-Japan rallies

• Beijing has now moved to stem these rallies after
  having been happy to let them rage through
  several months
• It has shut down nationalist websites, detained
  dissidents and sent text messages against illegal
  demonstrations

Internet allows activists to organise campaigns
12
Anti-Japan rallies

• Chinese leaders are very worried about protest
  activities in China today
• today Chinese people can march against Japan,
  tomorrow they can march against the leadership