Jessica Chen Weiss's excellent book, Powerful Patriots, offers fine-grained case studies of why ruling groups facilitate or obstruct anti-foreign demonstrations, mostly against Japan and the Japanese. Making excellent use of a broad array of sources, Weiss details the interactions of Beijing and Tokyo with a sharp focus on how CCP ruling groups understand the dynamics of anti-Japan demonstrations in China. She insightfully applies social science theory, presenting the choice of CCP leaders as a cost-benefit calculus. Power-holders seek to minimize the risk from demonstrators turning against the regime and maximize the diplomatic gain by persuading Tokyo that Beijing cannot compromise because its hands are tied by popular outrage.
展开▼
