Chinese artist Ai Weiwei was detained April 3 at the Beijing airport. He is among numerous lawyers and activists who have been detained since the Jasmine rallies began early February. The most important issue surrounding Ai’s detainment is not about the artist himself, who has received mixed responses within China, but the timing.
The timing of the arrest of Ai Weiwei, who has pushed a very mutable, non-transparent redline on numerous occasions, is very curious. It illustrates a change in government behavior and tolerance, not merely reflected by anything Ai said or did. Moreover, Ai’s crimes have not been formally announced; there’s been talk of him being charged on economic crimes, but there’s also been talk of subversion based on his art and political activities that openly disparage the Communist Party of China (CPC). In particular, a picture of him with a grass-mud horse, which, said in Chinese in different tones, is a harsh expletive aimed at the CPC.
Ironically, Ai’s arrest attracts more, not less, attention to the social uprisings the Chinese government has been aggressively trying to contain. Ultimately, when domestic security is threatened, the government’s priority is not on managing public perception — and especially not on managing international perception.
But why are they doing this now, when figures like Ai have pushed the boundaries on numerous occasions? There are three factors that have contributed to the growing sensitivities. The first is the fear generated by the uprisings in the Middle East. The second is rising social concerns, primarily centered on inflation. The third is the upcoming 2012 transition in China. Chinese President Hu Jintao does not want large-scale protests to develop and mar his legacy. The biggest question is how long they will be able to maintain this level of social control.
Finally, these arrests — Ai’s in particular — underline China’s growing scrutiny. Beijing believes these protests are foreign-generated, and there are many indications of these protests being originated outside of China, where many of Ai’s supporters are located. The lack of legal protocol or transparency highlighted in these arrests underlines the difficulty of operating in China.
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