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China's influence on world affairs is rising. But will it fundamentally change the international political order? And what kind of political order do the Chinese citizens want? This book approaches these questions by investigating discussions in some of the most popular internet forums and blogs in China and compares these perspectives to the official stances of the Chinese Communist Party. In doing so, it wants to offer a rare insight into the political beliefs of the Chinese citizenry. This research is inspired by the conviction that we need to listen more carefully to the Chinese people when developing the future international order. The Chinese citizenry comprises almost 20% of the world population. However, we know rather little about what kind of political order they prefer. Aiming to clear a path into this issue, this book focuses on the role of Confucianism and Socialism in Chinese online discussions: While Confucianism has shaped the Chinese political system for millennia, socialism is supposed to be the state ideology to this day. What do the Chinese internet users think? And does their opinion conform to the Chinese Communist Party's Perspective?
About the author
Tim Rühlig is a research associate at the Cluster of Excellence ¿The Formation of Normative Orders¿ at the Goethe University of Frankfurt in Germany. He has studied International Relations, Cultural Anthropology and Political Science in Tübingen, Frankfurt and Darmdstadt. His work focuses on China's international relations and Hong Kong.
