Social Protest in Contemporary China, 2003-2010: Transitional Pains and Regime Legitimacy

China's economic transformation has brought with it much social dislocation, which in turn has led to much social protest. This book presents a comprehensive analysis of all large-scale mass incidents, some 248 of them, which have taken place in the years 2003 to 2009, a large-scale mass incident being defined as an incident in which over 500 people were involved. The book analyses these incidents systematically, discussing their nature, causes and outcomes. It shows the wide range of protests ' tax riots, land and labour disputes, disputes within companies, including private and foreign companies, environmental protests and ethnic clashes ' and shows how the nature of protests has changed over time. It argues that many protests are related to corruption, that is failures by officials to adhere to the high standards which should be expected from benevolent government; and it demonstrates how the Chinese state, far from being rigid, bureaucratic and authoritarian, is often sensitive and flexible in its response to protest, frequently addressing grievances and learning from its own mistakes.