Contemporary Chinese History
The 6-pages essay needs to answer two questions: 1. Please explain the dynamics between Chinese government and popular nationalism in the post-Tiananmen era. Use examples from the course material to illustrate your points.(Hint: lectures, Osnos and Zheng) 2. Your friend says, “China is an authoritarian state. The party-state exercises absolute control over society and does not allow any expression of public opinion.” Do you agree with this comment? Or do you see a more complex and nuanced picture when it comes to the relationship between the Chinese government and the Chinese public? Please use examples to illustrate your points. (Hint lectures, Osnos, and Shapiro). The format of the essay is not restricted. Needed reading material: Evan Osnos, Age of Ambition, Chapter 10, 4, 5, 18, 9, 23, 11, 13-15. Judith Shapiro, China’s Environmental Challenges: 2, 3, 5,6. Yongnian Zheng, Contemporary China: a History since 1978, chapter 7.
