Final published version
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
Research output: Contribution to Journal/Magazine › Journal article › peer-review
}
TY - JOUR
T1 - Democracy Wall, Foreign Correspondents, and Deng Xiaoping
AU - Chubb, Andrew
PY - 2016/9/1
Y1 - 2016/9/1
N2 - This article identifies and explains the role of the Western media in Chinese politics between November 1978 and April 1979, when the rise of Deng Xiaoping within the Communist Party coincided with the emergence of the Democracy Wall free speech movement on China's streets, and the normalization of Sino-American relations. At this critical juncture in twentieth-century history, foreign journalists in Beijing were much more than simply gatekeepers of a conduit to the outside world. Chinese activists believed that, through the Western media, they could reach domestic audiences in China, and potentially even the Party leadership. Indeed, foreign reporting contributed to the movement's spread to other parts of the country, while strengthening and accentuating its most radical aspects. However, the main beneficiary of these interactions was Deng, who enlisted Democracy Wall and the foreign media, at times in conjunction, to advance his domestic and international objectives. Once he had secured control of the Party's political direction, and the normalization of Sino-American relations, the foreign press provided the rationale, if not the impetus, for the movement's suppression. Drawing on participant interviews, new Chinese sources, and analysis of press archives, this article brings important new insights into the momentous political events that set in motion the ongoing transformation of China and the region. It also illuminates the little-studied role of international media in producing "radical flank effects" that can help or hinder both social movements and state authorities. The case stands as a cautionary example for social activists attempting to harness the power of international media today.
AB - This article identifies and explains the role of the Western media in Chinese politics between November 1978 and April 1979, when the rise of Deng Xiaoping within the Communist Party coincided with the emergence of the Democracy Wall free speech movement on China's streets, and the normalization of Sino-American relations. At this critical juncture in twentieth-century history, foreign journalists in Beijing were much more than simply gatekeepers of a conduit to the outside world. Chinese activists believed that, through the Western media, they could reach domestic audiences in China, and potentially even the Party leadership. Indeed, foreign reporting contributed to the movement's spread to other parts of the country, while strengthening and accentuating its most radical aspects. However, the main beneficiary of these interactions was Deng, who enlisted Democracy Wall and the foreign media, at times in conjunction, to advance his domestic and international objectives. Once he had secured control of the Party's political direction, and the normalization of Sino-American relations, the foreign press provided the rationale, if not the impetus, for the movement's suppression. Drawing on participant interviews, new Chinese sources, and analysis of press archives, this article brings important new insights into the momentous political events that set in motion the ongoing transformation of China and the region. It also illuminates the little-studied role of international media in producing "radical flank effects" that can help or hinder both social movements and state authorities. The case stands as a cautionary example for social activists attempting to harness the power of international media today.
KW - DEMOCRACY WALL
KW - DENG XIAOPING
KW - INTERNATIONAL MEDIA EFFECTS
KW - RADICAL FLANK EFFECTS
KW - SINO-AMERICAN RELATIONS
KW - SOCIAL MOVEMENTS
KW - THIRD PLENUM
KW - WESTERN MEDIA
KW - XIDAN
U2 - 10.5509/2016893567
DO - 10.5509/2016893567
M3 - Journal article
VL - 89
SP - 567
EP - 589
JO - Pacific Affairs
JF - Pacific Affairs
SN - 0030-851X
IS - 3
ER -