Description
Book SynopsisHow do authoritarian regimes deal with pressure from the international community? China''s leaders have been subject to decades of international attention, condemnation, resolutions, boycotts, and sanctions over their treatment of human rights. We assume that hearing about all this pressure will make the public more concerned about human rights, and so regimes like the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) should do what they can to prevent this from happening. In Hostile Forces, Jamie Gruffydd-Jones argues that while international pressure may indeed embarrass authoritarian leaders on the international stage, it may, in fact, benefit them at home. The targets of human rights pressure, regimes like the Communist Party, are not merely passive recipients, but actors who can proactively shape and deploy that pressure for their own advantage. Taking us through an exploration of the history of the Communist Party''s reactions to foreign pressure, from condemnation of Mao''s crackdowns in Tibet to o
Trade ReviewIn this provocative new study, Jamie Gruffydd-Jones argues that international criticism of human rights violations by the Chinese government have not worked and are unlikely to without a fundamental change of strategy. Everyone interested in the promotion of human rights, in China or elsewhere, needs to read this book and heed its advice. * Bruce Dickson, Professor of Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University *
This study offers a rich and important analysis of why international human rights campaigns that target major authoritarian regimes, like China, have yielded little success. Gruffydd-Jones demonstrates how these campaigns are selectively co-opted by Chinese authorities for propaganda purposes, and how they are often treated with suspicion by the public, especially when the critiques are communicated by China's main rival-the United States. This book is a timely reminder that great power rivalry can overshadow transnational human rights advocacy, and that authoritarian regimes are increasingly adept at diverting international condemnation into a powerful nationalistic sentiment. * Maria Repnikova, Georgia State University *
Democracies routinely criticize the human rights practices of autocracies. Is this criticism effective? This important book that should be widely read by policymakers documents that when the US criticizes China alone, Chinese citizens tend to rally around the government. In contrast, multilateral criticism is much more effective in shaping public opinion in China. * Erin Baggott Carter, Stanford University *
Jamie Gruffydd-Jones has written an important book examining the Chinese Communist Party's response to criticism on human rights. He explains why, when, and how Beijing permits human rights messages to pierce China's information bubble. His theoretical framework and case studies yield insights into which types of foreign critiques are most likely to trigger reforms and which are more likely to backfire, being used for propaganda purposes by China and other autocratic regimes. * Zack Cooper, American Enterprise Institute *
A fascinating read. * Choice *
In a context of growing criticism of China's human rights violations, Jamie Gruffydd-Jones makes a valuable contribution in analysing the backlash and unintended consequences that this criticism might prompt as well as its impact on Chinese citizens. * Christelle Genoud, Europe-Asia Studies *
Table of ContentsPart I: The Argument Introduction A Theory of Responses to Human Rights Pressure Part II: The Regime Pressure as Propaganda: From Mao to Hu Hostile Human Rights: Tibet, Hong Kong, and Beyond When does Pressure become Propaganda? Part III: The Citizens Experimental Activism People on the Street Pressure in Real Time Part IV: The Implications Implications for China and Beyond Notes Appendices Bibliography
