UC Riverside's Perry Link on China's Covid Protests

The transcript discusses the Tiananmen papers and the nature of protests in China, comparing current events to those in 1989. It highlights the role of Xi Jinping and his zero-tolerance COVID-19 policy, which has led to widespread frustration. The discussion also covers the broken social contract in China and the potential for external conflicts as a distraction from domestic issues.

In what ways did the Chinese government's initial response to COVID-19 affect public perception?

How might external conflicts be used by authoritarian leaders to distract from domestic issues?

What implications do the protests have for the future of governance in China?