China
The People’s Republic of China has been ruled by a one party system for decades. A populist movement has risen up since the early 2000s that is known as the New Left. This group promises to fight “for the people” who have had a widened economic gap between themselves and the rich since China adopted a more free-market economy in the early 2000s. Heavy censorship enacted by the state has been silencing the New Left throughout the movement’s lifespan.
PROBLEM
The problem in China is different from most other forms of modern populism. Whereas in other areas of the world where populism is characterized xenophobia and anti-immigration, the populist movement in China is being repressed by the government with heavy media censorship and the arresting of dissenters. Popular social media such as Facebook and Twitter are banned. Even the enormous search engine Google has been censored heavily. Those with differing views, populists included, have great difficulty having their voices heard. You can learn more about the censorship problem here.
SOLUTIONS
Some solutions to see that combat the censorship of dissent in China include:
GreatFire: This website hosts a variety of projects aimed at bypassing government censorship in China such as an unblocked version of the New York Times, anonymous versions of social media, and unblocked search engines. To learn more about these projects click here.
Musical, literary, and artistic movements using metaphors to criticise social and political conditions in the country have begun spreading across not only China, but the world. Example include Chen Wei’s essays, the 18th century folk song Jasmine Flower being used as a symbol for resistance, and Mo Yan’s Red Sorghum.
