Suchergebnisse

"Diffusion-proofing" literature discusses the measures taken by authoritarian regimes to prevent the diffusion of protests from other authoritarian states. What about protests in a neighboring democracy? Do they also fear diffusion due to the proximity, or are they not concerned because of the difference in regime type? This study analyzes Chinese state-run news outlets' portrayals of Korean protests calling for the president's impeachment from October 2016 to March 2017, based on the frequency and the focus of the reports as well as the descriptions of protests/protesters and the Korean government. The findings indicate that China did not fear the diffusion effect, as shown in their positive descriptions of the protests and protesters in frequent and detailed reports, although they adopted a cautious approach, with reports focusing more on the government side and emphasizing the public's frustration, low government support, and the president's wrongdoing. Overall, China appeared to be less concerned about the diffusion effect due to the regimes' dissimilarity.

Although China's active participation in United Nations (UN) Peacekeeping Operations as a personnel contributor has drawn people's attention, very few have examined under what conditions China sent its personnel in general. This article analyzes 18 cases of China's participation/nonparticipation during 2003–2017, using such data as UN resolutions, data on trade and security, and other states' involvement. It reveals that the consideration of economic interests is a better predictor for China's behavior than China's concerns over its reputation, the insecurity of places, or mission characteristics. However, in contrast to popular speculations, economic interests are more about the importance of host states as export markets rather than as exporters of resource-related materials. The study also finds that sovereignty issues still wield power over China's decisions, showing that despite its increasing lenient voting patterns on mission resolutions, its participation behavior tends to remain conservative. (J Cont China/GIGA)