China's angry youths

China’s ‘angry youths’ are novel heroes
By Kathrin Hille in Beijing

Published: March 27 2009 17:47 Last updated: March 27 2009 17:47

China is unhappy. So much is clear as a book stating just this and recommending a confrontation with the west as a remedy has conquered the country’s bestseller lists and triggered a fierce online debate over China’s place in the world and its identity.

Unhappy China argues that the country should stand up to the west to claim its rightful place as a global power, and it looks to a patriotic young generation as a source of national strength and unity.

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Song Qiang, one of the book’s five authors, says that for a rising power like China, there are only two choices open to it: to become a hegemon or to get cast aside.

“I’d rather choose the first,” he said in an interview.

Wang Xiaodong, another of the authors, argues that the financial crisis has proved that the US has failed in world leadership and that “we can do it better”. Even without the crisis, he believes China must become a superpower.

“For a country as big as China, the need will arise to secure sufficient resources,” he said.

The nationalism of China’s “angry youths” shocked many in the west when they protested against the rejection of their Olympic torch run in Paris, attacked the western media for alleged bias and lies in its coverage of unrest in Tibet and called for a boycott of the French retailer Carrefour’s outlets in their country.

For the book’s authors, they are China’s only heroes and these views sell. Unhappy China jumped to the top of the bestseller list of online bookstore dangdang.com soon after publication on March 12.

As the initial 100,000 copies were selling out quickly, the publisher rushed to print another 50,000 early this week.

In the country’s lively internet blogosphere, the book has created something of a stir.

On Qihoo, a search site, a search for the book title returned more than a million listings.

All major web portals and social networking sites have their own Unhappy China forums where supporters and critics face off.

“The book appeals to the section of this increasingly diverse society which is frustrated that the leadership is not taking a firmer hand in foreign policy,” said Russell Leigh Moses, a Beijing-based political analyst. He added that the treatise represents a challenge for the Chinese government.

“The fact that this book is out means that such ideas have some traction,” said Mr Moses.

“However, it’s a sign of just how divided this society is and how uncertain the future is that it doesn’t sweep the system in a storm but causes so much friction.”

Some bloggers reject the book as the bitter rant of ultra left-wing intellectuals who feel sidelined under Beijing’s policies of reform and opening.

Others agree with the goal but differ on the authors’ view that Beijing should go for it and assert itself right now.

“China is still too weak to seek confrontation with the west,” said an anonymous blogger.

But another blogger said: “These five authors can directly replace the current politbureau members.

“Then they can [make] China a first-rate major power in just a few years!”
Copyright The Financial Times Limited 2009