Chinese Politics: Changing Conditions

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Changing conditions
The suppression of the Tiananmen Square protests in 1989 wrecked public confidence in the Chinese Communist Party (CCP). The CCP asserted harsh tactics to crush the opposition and influence the people to believe it had not lost its position. Other Chinese citizens believed that the CCP could be defeated because of the distrust the citizens had in the government. It led to a divide in society. The economic growth experienced in the 1990s led the people of China to forget about the politics and focus on material gains. This economic growth allowed the government to fuel its resources, including social surveillance and control.
No official opposition political party exists in China nor is one allowed to form. An opposition only exists in society. The opposition is pro democracy, it protests when the CCP does something to harm its own citizens. The opposition is voiced by dissident intellectuals and gathers momentum through online petitions. One of the leading sponsors of the opposition, Lui Xiaobo won a Nobel Peace Prize bringing further world attention to the political and social landscape in China.
The CCP can no longer keep such a tight grasp on society. The regime claims people who protest against them are mentally ill and depending on what the protesters status is can make false accusations and false charges stick. Those who support the CCP publicly with their work are also protested against. It can be assumed that politics is one key issue that divides China.

Disruptive politics for China were presenting themselves since the death of the CCPs former leader Mao Zedong in 1976. There was two years of great uncertainty until Deng Xiaoping's take of government was developed in 1978; he had also focused on gr...

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...1 days while filming this documentary. Weiwei has an air of caution after he is released from his detention with the CCP (Klayman, 2012).

In the documentary, Weiwei talks about his family, especially his father and the impact he had on Weiwei. He knows from seeing his father's experiences that when people interfere with the CCP and the regime people get hurt, detained and harassed. None of this deterred Ai Weiwei and his lust for freedom for his countrymen.

References:

AGO exhibition, Ai Weiwei: According to What?

Kataoka, M., Merewether, C., & Brougher, K. (2013). D. Horowitz (Ed.), Life According to Ai WeiweiNew York, NY: DelMonico Books.

Klayman, Alison (Director) (2012). Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry. USA: Mongrel Media. [Theater]

Zhenhua, S., Hui, Z., & Jingkai, H. (2013). “Authoritarianism and Contestation.” Journal of Democracy, 24(1), 26- 40.

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