Description
Book SynopsisThis book examines how the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has sought to legitimise its counter-terrorism strategy in the eyes of its domestic and international audiences. An important element of CCP policy in Xinjiang has been the deployment of ordinary Chinese citizens, or the 'mass line,’ to create new realities on the ground. This book explores how the history of ideological struggle in the PRC has taken on new characteristics, as well as offering insight into how the CCP has maintained legitimacy in the eyes of its population, even as it pursues policies which are internationally controversial, shedding light on the past and future of the behaviour of the Chinese state, a subject of interest to China scholars, scholars of the Belt and Road, and counter-terrorism experts.
Trade Review“Legitimacy of China’s Counter-Terrorism Approach remains a noteworthy contribution to the field. It is concisely written and contains both insight and provocative arguments relevant to not only specialists in Xinjiang and Uyghur studies but also those with an interest in Chinese security policy and terrorism and counter-terrorism studies.” (Michael Clarke, The China Quarterly, July 31, 2023)
Table of ContentsTablesFiguresAcknowledgementDisclaimer
Chapter 1 IntroductionThe PuzzleTerrorismTerrorism threats in XinjiangTerrorism ResearchChinaMass LineA Note on Sources and MethodologyChapter Outline
Chapter 2 From ‘Class Enemies’ to ‘Three Forces’Hostile ForcesMao Era: Peaceful Evolution and Two Types of ContradictionsDeng Era: Peaceful Development and Bourgeois LiberalisationJiang and Hu Era: Submerged Friend/Enemy TensionsXi Era: Revival of the Mass LineConclusion
Chapter 3 The Mass Line Ethos and People’s War on TerrorFengqiao ExperienceCommunity Policing‘Re-centralisation’ of security policy under Xi JinpingPeople’s War on Terror‘Hard’ and ‘soft’ approachesConclusion
Chapter 4 Mass Mobilisation Tactics for Countering TerrorismCo-optation of Local ActorsPatriotic believersCultural workersGrassroots propagandistsPopularisation of the state narrativesBetween Education and PropagandaConclusion
Chapter 5 Conclusion
