‘Jasmine revolution’ in China over the horizon
A police officer and security guard keep an eye on their surroundings on Tiananmen Square amid heightened Sunday security in Beijing on March 13, 2011. Police in China have arrested and charged more activists with subversion, as online calls urged disgruntled Chinese to join anti-government rallies for the fourth Sunday running. Chinese authorities have launched a massive security clampdown in major cities in response to the calls inspired by the "Jasmine revolution" in Tunisia, which sparked a wave of unrest against authoritarian regimes in the Arab world. (Photo: AAP)

Author: Feng Chongyi, UTS

The factors contributing to the waves of revolution reverberating through North Africa and the Middle East are visible in China.

They include widespread discontent caused by despotism, corruption, social inequality, social injustice, unemployment and inflation, and the rise of the middle class and rapid growth in internet users brought about by the gathering pace of economic modernisation. Read more…