Local Governments and the Suppression of Popular Resistance in China

Local governments are responsible for dealing with many of the instances of resistance in China, and an important mode of response which they use is suppression. This article examines the rationale behind local governments' use of this mode of response. It shows that Chinese citizens who stage...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:The China quarterly (London) 2008-03, Vol.193 (193), p.24-42
Main Author: Cai, Yongshun
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
China
Chinese languages
Chinese studies
Citizens
Collective action
Demonstrations & protests
Discretion
Government officials
Government Regulation
Human rights
Intervention
Jails
Law
Local Government
Oppression
Peasant class
Peasants
Police
Police corruption
Policy implementation
Political persecution
Political protests
Protest movements
Provincial government
Public opinion
Repression (Political)
Resistance
Resistance movements
Rural society
Social movements
Social order
Special Section on Rural Protests
Stability
State agencies
Subnational government
Taxation
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Summary:Local governments are responsible for dealing with many of the instances of resistance in China, and an important mode of response which they use is suppression. This article examines the rationale behind local governments' use of this mode of response. It shows that Chinese citizens who stage resistance are in a weak legal position because their actions often violate the law or government regulations. Given local governments' discretion in interpreting citizens' action, suppression becomes the option when concessions are difficult to make and citizen resistance threatens social stability, policy implementation or local officials' images. However, suppression has not stopped popular resistance, and it remains a channel through which citizens defend or pursue their legitimate rights in China.
ISSN:0305-7410
1468-2648
DOI:10.1017/S0305741008000027