The topic on LGBT rights in China is a very sensitive one. The Chinese government’s policy towards homosexuality is believed to be “three no’s”: “No approval; no disapproval; no promotion.” While...Show moreThe topic on LGBT rights in China is a very sensitive one. The Chinese government’s policy towards homosexuality is believed to be “three no’s”: “No approval; no disapproval; no promotion.” While the Chinese Ministry of Health no longer has homosexuality on its list of mental illnesses since 2001, it is still not openly discussed in China and not an issue that the Chinese governments deems as something that needs to be discussed at a national level. This paper will endeavour to answer the following question: How can gay and lesbian NGOs in China attempt to encourage the Chinese government to safeguard the rights of gays and lesbians through the law-making process? This paper will use as an example environmental NGOs to examine what kind of strategies and resources they have utilized to engage into political territory, and how gay and lesbian NGOs can use the same strategies and resources to do the same. Because the issues gay and lesbian NGOs engage themselves in, it will be difficult for them to persuade the Chinese government to form policies regarding the protective rights of gays and lesbians in China, unless they are able to convince government officials to sponsor them and argue that protecting the rights of homosexuals will be more beneficial for the government than if they do not.Show less
China is closely examined by the rest of the world’s eagles eye. Different aspects such as the economy, western ideas and new incumbent politicians play a major role in the process of...Show moreChina is closely examined by the rest of the world’s eagles eye. Different aspects such as the economy, western ideas and new incumbent politicians play a major role in the process of democratization. This thesis is aimed at examining China’s recent historical events and analyzing what impact this had on rural level. In order to analyze China’s rural level there is a top-down structure throughout this thesis. Furthermore, this analysis is supported by various definitions and requirements to finally be able to conclude whether Chinese rural areas enhance democracy or not.Show less
China is under one-party authoritarian regime which requires the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) to maintain legitimacy and social stability. In order to achieve that, the CCP and Chinese government...Show moreChina is under one-party authoritarian regime which requires the CCP (Chinese Communist Party) to maintain legitimacy and social stability. In order to achieve that, the CCP and Chinese government has been controlling public opinions towards the government and the regime. Since the intervention and popularization of internet into China, internet has broadened Chinese netizens’ outlook and deepen the understandings of the world. Weibo, the Chinese microblog, among online communities, is one of the most popularized internet virtual platforms in China. As an epitome of Chinese society in network age, the development and functions of microblog has no doubt changed not only daily life of Chinese citizens but also substantially changed the way of public participation mode and supervision mode of public affairs. The impact of microblog on possible social transformation and democratization in China has been a hot topic discussed by scholars but the verdict is yet to be reached. In addition, Chinese government realizing the importance and impact of online public opinion also joined the tide of microblog development and is adapting to the digital era to guide public opinion and do propaganda on microblog. Whereas, comparing to microblog’s impact utilizing by netizens, the impact and efficiency of government strategy on microblog is seldom discussed heretofore.Show less
This thesis studies both the way decision making works related to the Chinese space program (the ensemble of projects undertaken by the Chinese government to establish its presence in space), and...Show moreThis thesis studies both the way decision making works related to the Chinese space program (the ensemble of projects undertaken by the Chinese government to establish its presence in space), and the degree in which this decision making reflects Lieberthal and Oksenberg’s “Fragmented Authoritarian Model”. Therefore the hypothesis tested in this thesis is: “Decision making in Chinese politics related to the Chinese space project corresponds with Lieberthal and Oksenberg’s “Fragmented Authoritarian Model” in every detail.” In order to test this hypothesis first the “Fragmented Authoritarian Model” is described. Then the decision making related to the Chinese space program is studied in detail, using secondary sources. In the conclusion the results obtained are compared with the “Fragmented Authoritarian Model”.Show less
In July 2014, tens of thousands of protestors from various social groups took to the streets in what could be Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy protest ever after a number of pro-democracy...Show moreIn July 2014, tens of thousands of protestors from various social groups took to the streets in what could be Hong Kong’s largest pro-democracy protest ever after a number of pro-democracy movements in earlier years. In the following month, the Chinese government eliminates the possibility of a fully democratic election for a new Hong Kong leader in 2017, as the protesters claim has been promised to them by Beijing in late 2007. The new decision has made it impossible for politicians to take part in this election without prior approval by Beijing. September 28 marked the start of Occupy Central as students and supporters set up their tents on the streets. For weeks on end the occupation goes on in protest of the limitation of ‘real democracy’, with more than 100,000 people participating in the Occupy Central protest at its peak. This occupation came to an end only on December 15 when the Hong Kong authorities cleared the last occupation site – however, the Umbrella Movement has not yet come to an end and, from time to time, makes its way back into the local headlines. This paper aims to identify the ways in which the Hong Kong identity is framed by both the protesters themselves and the local news media in the context of the Umbrella movement. For this purpose a combination of content analysis and discourse analysis will be used to examine a selection of news excerpts from the period ranging from September until December 2014.Show less
