HONG KONG — The so-called Jasmine Revolution sweeping North Africa and the Mideast has caught the world's attention and there are now attempts to spread the flames to China as well. But is China ripe for a Jasmine Revolution? Unlike the countries in the Arab world experiencing unrest, China has gone through more than 30 years of rapid economic growth that have lifted hundreds of millions of people from poverty.
A 22-nation Pew Global Attitudes Survey made public last June showed that while most people were unhappy with the direction of their country, China was an exception. "Only in China," the survey reported, "does an overwhelming portion of the population (87 percent) express satisfaction with national conditions."
Certainly, the common assumption is that as long as the government keeps delivering growth, the Communist Party will remain in power.