China: Ten years after the Tiananmen crackdown

Abstract

Western press reports have generally stated that memories of Tiananmen have largely faded in China partly because China is now richer, more pluralistic and less ideological and partly because the Chinese government has confronted some of the students’ complaints such as official privilege and corruption. In reality, however, many of the underlying social and political issues that sparked the Tiananmen protests are far from being resolved, and there now exist signs of economic crisis and possible future dislocations. This article examines these issues and shows how, if certain trends intensify, not only will economic well‐being in China be threatened but so might the political stability of the country itself.