PRC response to Middle East political upheavals?

From what I have read the PRC is clamping down very hard on anything from the Middle East generally and from Egypt, Bahrain and Libya in particular. Since China has huge investments in Sudan (which recently split into two nations, Sudan and South Sudan with most the oil in the south) the Chinese leadership must be very wary of rapid and uncontrolled changes in government in countries that border Sudan or that have strong ties to Khartoum. Additionally, of course, the type of "mass action" happening in the Arab world is something which the CPC does not want to see in China.

A couple of articles from China Daily:

http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/china/2011-02/20/content_12046456.htm

Which seems to be the official line for domestic consumption: "build a socialist social management system with Chinese characteristics, consolidate the ruling status of the Communist Party of China (CPC) and safeguard people's fundamental interests."

And this one http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/world/2011-02/21/content_12047529.htm

Which simply summarizes rambling and not always coherent TV address by one of Gaddafi's sons. I watched it on the Al Jazeera English service and young Gaddafi would not have inspired confidence in anyone.

Anyone know how or if people in China are learning about the Middle East currently?

There was also an attempt at a 'Jasmine Revolution' in various cities around China Sunday but it was clamped down on hard by the Chinese authorities. Flash mobs were set for locations like McD's and Starbucks. Later, there were calls for regular Sunday demonstrations. There were more onlookers than protesters for the first one but many were said to be cautiously testing the waters. We'll see.

Re: Libya
It was funny/weird to hear that the Magic Jack was cited as a valuable tool used by the demonstrators to get information out. AlJazeera English has been doing a great job covering all the news out of Tunisia, Egypt, Bahrain, and Libya.

There were some interesting discussions about the Jasmine Revolution(s?) on the radio here today. Should be interesting to see how that plays out, if it plays out at all. Maybe the government will loosen its grip in other ways as a pre-emptive measure? I can't imagine they're not worried . . .

Part of me is amazed to see these kinds of uprisings finally take place in countries wherein they've been long overdue, but I'm keen to see what'll happen in some of these places where dictators have been, or soon will be, deposed. Considering most of those who could have challenged these honchos on a democratic political stage have been executed, jailed or exiled, you have to wonder who could be up to the challenge of leading such highly fractious populations. This could all be happening too fast, but maybe that's preferable to it never happening at all.

Interesting times! If you're a dictator with an iron grip on your people, you've got to be pretty much sh*tting yourself right now, wherever you are.

ewaffle wrote:Anyone know how or if people in China are learning about the Middle East currently?

Obvious, this is a completely different things in term of the nature. To show the anger, some political parties are planning a protest on March 6 against the budget and they referred it as "Bauhinia Revolution" (紫荊花革命).

http://www.rthk.org.hk/rthk/news/englishnews/20110225/news_20110225_56_736654.htm

http://news.chinatimes.com/mainland/11050505/132011022500959.html

Seems like the tobacco tax is drawing the most ire of Hong Kong citizens.

ARRR...it's that injection of HK$6,000 to each MPF account (totalling HK$240 billion) brings the biggest discontent. The public's reaction is why not simply giving a tax rebate instead? As the money will never be enjoyed by us, it just goes straight to the fund companies as admin fee!

So today's response appeared to be "head 'em off at the pass."

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/945788

Seems like it worked, sort of, and I'm sure from the perspective of the Chinese news media nothing happened at all wink wink, but one wonders how often the government will need to mobilize troops and undercover goons in the weeks and months ahead.

More than 100 democracy activists in China have since been detained, Internet censorship has soared, and an emergency meeting of Communist Party leaders was convened to review state security.

It didn’t help that embattled Libyan leader Moammar Gadhafi suggested in a speech last week that he would crush his challengers with tanks just as the Chinese government did in Tiananmen Square. It was a comparison certain to unsettle China’s rulers — where the truth of the 1989 massacre has never been confronted.

Interesting times these . . .