Is the Arab Spring Coming to China? The Missing Piece of the Puzzle

Abstract

Following the breakdown of autocracies in Tunisia, Egypt, and Libya in early 2011, the international community turned its attention to China, the largest single-party-rule-state in the world. Analysts and commentators have debated the likelihood of a similar round of popular protests and demonstrations in China.[1] At the 48th Munich Conference on Security Policy, U.S. Senator John McCain warned the Arab Spring would spread to China. 'I have said on many occasions and I will say again the Arab Spring is coming to China as well,' said McCain.[2] Will the Arab Spring ignite similar uprisings in China? Could such uprisings shake the foundations of the Communist Party rule in China? It is in this context that this article examines the Chinese Communist Party's (CCP) fear of the Arab Spring, and provides a conclusion on whether such fears are founded and if a similar uprising in China is indeed in the near future.