If you’ve seen anything about China in the last few months, it’s likely been associated with the ‘Imminent Collapse’ or the ‘End of China,’ but these are nothing more than egregious headlines designed to farm clicks. In reality, while China is going through a host of crises, from food insecurity to the burst of a real-estate bubble, Xi Jinping’s power and position will not change anytime soon. While this might seem ludicrous in other countries worldwide, China is not like these other countries, mainly due to the government’s control over everyday people.
When considering China’s institutional power, one crucial factor to consider is that the Chinese government isn’t an invisible power or just people in high-up positions like it is in most countries – the Chinese government is everywhere. Not only are there surveillance cameras that recognize your face and every action you take, but the government also monitors you through every app on your phone; it reads all the messages you send and controls everywhere you put your money. This makes protests as we know them especially difficult, and even when they do happen, the Chinese government uses its hold over the media to stifle the impacts of such events. As a result, not only do protests rarely happen, but even when they do, they’re confined to regional issues seen as minor nuisances instead of the challenges to the government they were intended to be.
Despite this, the protests that transpired after the recent financial issues in the Chinese economy due to the actions of Chinese real-estate developers (all of which the government had at least a stake in) like Evergrande were actually nationwide and visible, something that hasn’t happened since the time nothing occurred in Tiananmen Square in April of 1989 (according to the Chinese government at least). This unprecedented event led many news sources to believe that the end was actually nigh for the Chinese government. However, as much as these journalists might want an end to the CCP as we know it, the reality is that what we see in China is still far from the truth.
While it was confirmed that these protests were virtually unprecedented in their exposure, they seem to have changed very little in China itself. Much like when the UN finally reported and verified the truth about the Uyghur Genocide this year, it is when the world expects the most from the Chinese government that it takes the least action.
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